


Pirate's Life For Me....

by J_P_Lupine



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Don't copy to another site, Eleanor Guthrie - Freeform, F/M, Hair-pulling, Hand Jobs, Multiple Sex Positions, NSFW, Naked Cuddling, Nassau, Oral Sex, Pet Names, Pirates, Romance, Sailors, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-07-08 20:30:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 79,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_P_Lupine/pseuds/J_P_Lupine
Summary: Deana Blake, a child raised without the affections of her father and the knowledge that her mother left with a pirate only to be hung like one soon after. Fighting on her own to stay alive as her father sailed on a merchant ship, Deana learned many skills to get food or money whether it be begging or pick-pocketing.Deana Blake, a woman serving as a cook aboard a ship called Petrel and not really getting anywhere closer to her dreams of being a well known captain. Her skills in the kitchen are extraordinary, but her skills with a knife were just as well known to anyone that dared enter her galley without permission. She wormed her way onto the boat when she was 13 and has been in her place since while manipulating the Captain to keep her aboard without anyone even realizing-even the Captain himself. Deana wouldn't do anything she didn't have to, and she wanted to earn the right to be a captain rather than take it, so that was how she spent years cooking for an ever changing crew on the Petrel until the ship was attacked and finally sent to her watery grave.Deana Blake, a woman to be feared....





	1. Drunken Sailor

Grunting as I lifted up a heavy barrel, I tried to walk in a straight line, but it was hard with the weight of what I carried and how I couldn't even see in front of me. Clenching my jaw, I took one step at a time towards the ramp (or at least where I hoped it was) and dug my fingers into the wood to try and keep my grip on the barrel. Placing my left foot down, I yelped when I stepped on something furry and heard a cat's yowl. Quickly lifting my bare foot as claws slashed across my shin, I lost my balance and went stumbling back.

Trying to remain standing, the weight of the barrel was causing me to continue to stumble around before the barrel was suddenly lifted from my arms and I finally fell down. Hitting the hard cobblestone beneath me, I cringed and balled my hands into fists to keep from vocalizing my pain.

"The port's no place for a child." A man said roughly as I looked up, seeing the barrel I had resting on one of his broad shoulders. With his free hand, he grabbed the front of my shirt and yanked me to my feet. "Especially not a little _girl._ " His comment made my face screw up into a look of obvious displeasure.

"I was paid!" I retorted while holding out my small hand with my palm facing skyward. "I'll do my job!"

"Oh, yeah?" The large man rose a brow while snarling, leaning down to get a closer look at me. "And does the Capt'n know he paid a poor girl to do a _man's_ job?" He flicked the rim of my hat, causing it to lift up and barely hang onto the back of my head. From my expression and how my shoulders tensed, he got his answer. "I didn't think so. Get out of here before I take you to the Capt'n and he gets his money back." He rose to his full height and turned on his heel.

"Just wait!" I shouted after him. "I'll be an even better sailor than you! I'll be the best in the entire ocean, and it'll be me telling you to leave when you're begging for work!" Raising my tiny fist and shaking it at the back of his head as he was walking up the ramp to the boat, I yelled one last thing before storming off. "Watch, you'll soon know my name well as people will be shouting it from the rooftops, Father!"

He shot me a warning glare as I turned, his expression seeming so fierce as if I had stolen his coin purse. With my shoulders squared and my head down, I yanked my hat back onto my head properly and stomped down the cobbled street. My dirty, bare feet slapped against the stone and it was clear that I was furious. The coins in my pocket seemed like taunting pieces of metal, weighing me down and teasing how I couldn't even do a simple job of taking barrels onto a blimey boat.

Ignoring the angry calls of the people I ran my shoulders into, I kept my head down while angrily biting my bottom lip. 'How dare he?' I thought. ' _How dare he tell me what's what?'_ Kicking a pebble as hard as I could, it flew off and pegged a woman on her rear. She gasped and turned to slap the man standing behind her, causing an argument to arise on who did what and why.

 _'What's so wrong with a girl on a boat?_ ' I mentally grumbled. _'I bet I could sail better than he could at my age!_ ' Crossing my arms, I huffed in annoyance. Father had always despised me for being born female-he had wanted a son. A son that could carry on the family name and sail the open seas with him. However, he got me instead and Mother left before they could try again for a boy. This was another reason my father didn't like me-he blamed me for Mother running off with a pirate because I hadn't been the dresses and bows she had wanted me to be. Though, not long after, the entire crew of the pirate she ran off with was caught and hung for piracy.

I remembered that day only because Father had come home drunk and shouted at me how I had killed her. Between throwing bottles and shouting, he had wondered out loud if I wanted to join her and leave with a pirate the same way she had. At the time, I didn't understand why he blamed me, so I had reacted just as badly as he had, shouting back at him and threatening him with a shard of glass when he tried to throw me outside to live with the dogs.

That had all been around 3 years ago, but he was still sour about it all and I hated him still as well. Now, he went off for as long as he could to sail the seas on a merchant ship, leaving me alone in the shack we called home to fend for myself. However, for a 7 year old child, I survived fairly well on my own. I'd cook or clean for food or coins, fix clothes for cheap, or even scrub horses until they were cleaner than I had ever been.

Kicking open the door to my home, I shoved my hand into my pocket to pull out the coins I had received from my father's captain. Dropping them into a mostly empty rum bottle, I heard them clink against the other coins I had saved. Plopping down onto the ground in front of the bottle, I crossed my legs and huffed while resting my chin in my palm while my elbow was on my knee.

"Just wait...." I mumbled. "When I reach the top, I'll get me a boat and sail the world 'til every peak and depth knows me." Reaching out a hand, I tapped the top of the bottle. "I'll show you.... I'll show you all just who I am."

~6 years later~

"Name?" A man behind a table asked me. He held a quill while parchment scattered the surface of the table as he didn't even look up at me.

"Deana Blake." I replied, and the man paused before slowly raising his head.

"A ship is no place for a girl. Leave the line so I can recruit real sailors." He said bluntly while narrowing his eyes at me. Smirking, I raised the old rum bottle I had finally filled to the brim and dropped it onto the table. The coins clinked as the bottle gave a loud thud.

"I'm a cook. A good one at that, and good cooks are a rare commodity. I say I'll give you this old rum bottle, what would you say in return?" Raising a brow, I placed one hand on my hip while my other hand sat on top of the bottle. The man's eyes bulged, he hadn't expected a dirty teenager dressed in rags to be carrying this much money. "Tic-toc, sir. If you don't answer soon, I'll take my skills-and my business-elsewhere."

"I'd say you are welcomed aboard the Petrel, Ms. Blake. However, the crew would not agree." He quickly said, still eyeing the bottle in front of him.

"They'll agree when they're bellies are full and they're not dying of dysentery or food poisoning." I stated while tilting the bottle. "So, will you take this lovely rum bottle and its contents while gaining a capable cook in the process?" Questioning, I rose a brow, watching the expression on the man's face as greed was glinting in his eyes. That was the thing with men-wave a handful of coins in their face and they'd be rolling in the mud like swine to get it. That was how I managed to learn to read-by bribing an educated man, I mean.

"....We have a deal, Ms. Blake." He rose to his feet and held out his hand. "As long as the Petrel sails, you have a place aboard her. I will speak to the captain about your arrangements and we will meet at the docks in the morning." Shaking his hand, I smirked.

"Good. But," I rose my brows while snatching the bottle off of the table as he went to grab it. "you'll receive your rum when we hit open waters." Turning on my heel, I walked away, carrying my bottle under my arm in my jacket to keep it hidden from thieves. Walking with my head held high and my dirty feet padding down the dirty street, I felt like I should pay a visit to the beach one last time before I finally set sail.

Diving into the salty water, I held my breath while feeling the cold water nip at my skin and soak into my clothes. Taking in a deep breath when my head broke the surface, I laughed as I looked at the blue sky overhead.

Finally. Finally, after all of these years, I was on my way to sailing to oceans. I'd start out as a cook, then work my way up until I was a captain of my own ship and crew.

I'd have a crew that respected and feared me, not daring to cross me even if I was a woman. I'd fight off any bloody pirate that dared come after my cargo or ship, and my reaches in the water would spread onto land until everyone, including my father, would hear the stories of my adventures through perilous waters and braving through even the toughest of storms as I battled pirates.

Sighing, I splashed some of the ocean water onto my face and scrubbed at the dirt with my palms. Bathing in the ocean, I even washed my clothes in the salty water the best I could before I went off on the beginning of my story.

~

The following morning, I showed up to the docks with clean skin that smelled of salt water and hot sand in a pair of old, faded trousers and a plain, white button-up tucked behind my belt fashioned from a strip of leather tied around my waist. Proudly walking up to where the Petrel was docked, I carried the rum bottle under one arm while brushing my wild hair out of my face.

"You must be the captain." I stated, seeing a rather tall man ordering others to take boxes onto the ship. The man from yesterday was there as well, checking the cargo being loaded off of a list he had in his hands.

"And you are?" He rose a brow while looking down at me.

"The cook." Smiling, I held out my hand. "It is a pleasure to be working for the Petrel, sir, and I hope you come to want me in the kitchen rather than throwing me overboard." The man snorted as he shook my hand.

"Well, well. Higgins didn't mention the cook would be such a promising lass." The Captain said and the man he mentioned looked over when he heard his name. He gave me a look as if he didn't even recognize me, but the smirk I gave him had him looking at me with wide eyes. "As he had described, you were a dirty child looking for work and he was charitable enough to offer you a position aboard the boat since you mentioned you could cook."

"Why, yes, sir. He found me in an alley begging for food. I was so happy when he came along with his offer that I just jumped off of a big rock into the ocean. I came out clean, so it may be hard to believe how dirty I had been, groveling in the streets and all." I said with a smile. The Captain looked slightly unnerved with how I worded everything, but by adding to things and fibbing, he was more likely to keep me aboard since 'Higgins' had clearly lied about our meeting and deal.

When we were finally leaving the port, Higgins drug me to the side and hissed low to where only I could hear him and smell his foul breath.

"Where is it?" He questioned. "Where's my money?"

"You'll find it among your things by morning. Don't worry, I've hidden it well, so no one else will know of it. Keep your end of the bargain, and I'll keep quiet about the entire thing." I replied with a cold expression on my face. "Trust me when I say this, Higgins, I may be young, but I am not one to be crossed. If you try to take my money and drop me off at the next port," Grabbing the front of his shirt, I pulled him closer to my height. "I'll kill you." From the look on his face, he must have seen something in my eyes that told him I wasn't lying.

Growing up in the filth and the shadows of the streets, I knew how to get what I wanted whether it be via pick-pocketing, manipulating, or playing the 'poor, innocent, homeless child' card. Letting him go, I gave a bright smile that a happy kid would give.

"What's going on over here?" The Captain walked up while crooking up a brow in curiosity.

"Mr. Higgins was telling me a story about one of the port cities he has visited. He was just at the part about sweets in a bakery." I innocently replied, and the Captain chuckled. Higgins, however, still look petrified as he could see how I was playing the Captain. As the Captain was walking away, I slowly turned to Higgins while still smiling. " _~What will we do with a drunken sailor? ....Put him in a long boat till he's sober....~"_ I sang lowly, a warning to Higgins without the rest of the crew knowing. Thankfully, he was smart enough to get what I was implying.


	2. Roll Boys Roll

Grunting as I picked up the crate full of potatoes, I dropped them onto the wooden counter and pulled out another crate to sit on. Picking up a knife, I grabbed a potato and began to peel, letting the skins fly into a bucket in front of me. The ship swayed with the waves, causing anything loose to roll before the boat tilted the other way. Dropping the peeled potato into a pot after cutting it into quarters, I turned my head as I grabbed another brown root. The beads and shells in my hair clacked together in my braids, a familiar sound I had grown accustomed to when I started putting them in my hair years ago.

Up on deck were about 20 hungry men, sweating and working in the hot sun to keep the sails with the wind to quickly get to our port to deliver our cargo down below. With the way the sun was beating down and how hard they were working, they'd be starving by the time dinner was to be served. So, working as deftly as I could, I began to make supper for 20 men with bottomless pit stomachs.

Whistling as I worked, the only source of light that came in was from round windows set high in the walls. The tune coming from my lips, however, seemed to carry to the top of the deck due to many of the windows being opened as I was cooking. I only knew it carried because I could hear the men up top humming along. Smirking, I tossed a potato into a pot and rose my voice.

_"~Oh! Sally Brown, she's the gal for me, boys!~"  
_

_"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~"_ I heard many voices reply as I picked up another potato and began to peel.

 _"~Oh! Sally Brown, she's the gal for me, boys!~"_ Singing, I honestly found this crew to be my favorite so far. Most of them were fine with me being a woman and they loved my cooking, so many of them remained on the ship after every cargo delivery unlike others that left after. Also, they didn't mind when I began a shanty without reason.

_"~Way high, Miss Sally Brown!~"  
_

_"~It's down to Trinidad to see Sally Brown, boys!~"_ I belted out and heard the crew reply soon after.

_"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~"  
_

_"~Down to Trinidad to see Sally Brown, boys!~"  
_

_"~Way high, Miss Sally Brown!~"  
_

_"~She's lovely on the foreyard, and she's lovely down below, boys!~"_ Tossing another potato into the pot, I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand.

_"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~"  
_

_"~She's lovely cause she loves me, that's all I want to know boys!~"  
_

_"~Way high, Miss Sally Brown!~"  
_

_"~Old Captain Baker, how do you store yer cargo?~"  
_

_"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~"  
_

_"~Some I stow forward, boys, and some I store after!~"  
_

_"~Way high, Miss Sally Brown!~"_ Their voices sang in reply as everyone worked. The bucket in front of me was filling up with peels and I stopped to cut up some carrots and onions on the wooden counter.

_"~Forty fathoms or more below, boys!~"_

"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~"

"~There's forty fathoms or more below, boys!~"

"~Way high, Miss Sally Brown!~"

"~Oh, way high ya, and up she rises!~"

"~Roll, boys! Roll boys, roll!~" Chuckling, I knew that shanty was usually sang for when the anchor was being brought in, but it didn't really seem to matter to anyone. Chopping up the vegetables, I tossed them into the pot with the potatoes and continued to work on supper until I was pouring portions into bowls for the crew. The peels in the bucket were tossed overboard for whatever fish happened upon them.

~

"We'll be seeing the port by evening." The Captain was saying as I stood in his cabin. The quartermaster was there as well, standing off to my left as the Captain was standing with his back to us. He was looking through the windows at the ocean, and I crossed my arms, waiting for him to continue. "When we arrive, we'll restock and pick up our new load before returning home. I want you to go through the crew and tell them we won't have time to rest on land-we'll only dock, deliver our cargo, restock, then leave with new cargo. Understood?"

"Sir, might I ask where this change in plans has come from?" The quartermaster glanced at me, then took a step forward while gesturing at me. "And why the cook has to be present for this conversation."

"Pirates have been spotted in these waters, James. I was hoping it would not be a problem by the time we arrived, but I'm not certain." The Captain looked over his shoulder. "The cook is here because she's been aboard this boat longer than any of you. I trust her decisions."

"What do my decisions have to do with our quick in and out to avoid pirates?" I rose a brow while shifting the weight on my feet.

"Tell me who in the crew is trustworthy and who is not." He fully turned and looked me dead in the eye while placing his hands onto his desk. "The cargo we will be picking up is of great importance and I cannot risk having one of my men interfering or taking any of what we are delivering."

"What are we delivering?" The lanky quartermaster questioned while raising a brow.

"We have been asked to carry a load of pieces of eight." The Captain replied lowly.

"....And how large might this load be?"

"Enough to be hidden in barrels." Was the quick reply. "Now, Deana, the crew?" His dark brown eyes drifted back to me. After Higgins had retired the sea a few years ago to run a bakery, (bought with the rum bottle, no doubt) the Captain had relied on me to tell if another crew member might not be as true as they claimed. Sighing, I let my hands fall to my sides as I took a seat in front of the Captain.

"Johnny." I stated. "Man has a habit for nicking the shiny from purses in ports." Looking the Captain in the eye, I felt the quartermaster's eyes on the back of my head. Holding up a hand while putting my forefinger and thumb together, I tilted my head. "Sometime the shiny be coin, sometimes jewelry and the sort."

"How could you possibly know that?" James asked, and I caught the tone of disbelief in his voice.

"Saw him reaching into pockets last time we docked away from home."

"And you failed to mention it until now?"

"He wasn't taking much and he wasn't taking from the ship." I replied.

"Anyone else?" The Captain questioned.

"Bill's a little shifty, but hasn't done a thing to make him untrustworthy. The rest of the crew's good." I nodded. And simply from my words, after docking and restocking, Johnny wasn't seen on deck as we sailed off once more with our new load. Going to the galley, I told the men where to put the crates and barrels of food.

They tried to hurry so that they could leave soon, knowing that the kitchen was my area on the ship and anyone else became trespassers after a short time. From how long this crew had been on the Petrel, they also knew that I could throw a blade with keen accuracy at any man that entered the galley without permission. Pointing to where I wanted certain crates, the crew scurried to put them down and get out to spare the dirty looks I was giving and the knife I was pointing with as I was trying to peel potatoes.

~

"Deana, we need to speak- Ah!" A rather high-pitched scream came from the quartermaster as he walked into the galley. On a reflex, I had thrown the knife beside me towards the entrance. The blade thudded into the wood of the beam, purposefully missing the lanky man. "Oh, my...." He cleared his throat, holding a hand over his no doubt pounding heart.

"We'll speak in the morning." I replied sharply while turning away.

"No, we'll speak now." James straightened his shirt while glancing to the knife. "I may not have been aboard the Petrel as long as you, but I've been present long enough to see the way the crew and Captain trust you."

"And? How can this not wait 'til morning?" I rose a brow, looking over my shoulder at him.

"A woman on a ship is a curse in itself, and yet the Captain turns to you with such a duty and allows you to remain."

"Oh, this sort of speak, is it?" Sighing, I crossed my arms while leaning on the counter. "Go on, then, explain how improper it is and how I could possibly be a worse sailor than a skin and bone man that's only ever lifted papers and quills around here." The expression on his face changed like the flip of a coin as I spoke. "Come, James. Don't let your jaw go slack and say what's on your mind. We are on the ocean, a rather dangerous place if someone where an improper sailor."

"You're not a sailor, you're a cook that rats out the crew."

"Rats out the crew?" I rose a brow while reaching behind me and picking up another knife. "Oh, Mr. Quartermaster, you have me mistaken." He eyed the blade in my possession as I flipped it in the air and caught it repeatedly. "What would happen to the Captain, boat, and crew if it were discovered part of our cargo were to have gone missing? Especially with our current cargo resting down below?"

"I-"

"No." I cut him off. "I shouldn't have to actually ask-we both know the answer to that. Now, get out of my kitchen." Leaning off of the counter, I walked over to my knife in the beam. James flinched at my movement, but eyed me as I tugged the knife from the wood. "Why aren't you leaving?" I rose a brow while raising my chin.

"We-"

"Out!" I rose my voice, not caring much for anything he had to say. Pointing behind him with one of the knives, I stepped toward him. "Leave, and I don't want to see you in my galley again. If you have more to discuss, Mr. James, than it can wait until morning." The way he eyeballed the sharp objects in my hands, he more than likely assumed I would resort to force to get him to leave if he didn't of his own free will.

As he turned on his heel and walked out, I returned the knives to their places and finished putting things away. After hours of quiet, I felt assured that the quartermaster was done questioning me for the night.


	3. Anne Bonny

It was near sunrise when I woke to start on breakfast. The ship was quiet, save for the creaking of wood as the boat went over the rolling waves. It was still dark, so I had to rely on the fire of candles until the sun would rise over the horizon and light up the galley. I could hear clucking from the chickens as they were scratching at the bottom of their cage, and I calmly worked while prepping the large meal.

When I heard slow and steady creaks from the wood as boots came carefully walking up from behind me, I clenched my jaw as my grip tightened on the knife in my hand. Hoping the quiet footsteps would veer off and not enter the galley, I was disappointed when they seemed to continue closer towards me. Thinking it was some crew member hoping to snag some food while everyone was still asleep, I reacted like I normally would when the steps got close enough.

"I said to stay out of my fucking kitchen!" I shouted while snarling and throwing the knife in my hand without thinking. Freezing as I saw who stood in the opening of the galley, I was internally screeching curses that would make a sailor weep. "Oh, fuck...." Mumbling as the pirate was glancing at the knife embedded into the wooden beam, narrowly missing his cheek as it was pinning one of his braids down.

He jerked his head to the side, cutting his hair as the braid still dangled from the knife. Slowly turning to look at me, he smirked while resting one hand on the handle of his sword. The way the fire light flickered and cast shadows across his face made him look like a devil coming to take my soul with the way his eyes glittered like daggers.

"You're a cook." He stated, having a deep voice as he spoke low and eyeing the food being prepared on the counter and in the pot over the fire. "I wouldn't do that." The pirate quickly said, seeing my hand reaching for another knife as I was glaring. Freezing with my fingers inches from the blade, the man tilted his head while looking at me again. "You're a woman?" The man then chuckled. "Oh, I've got the perfect playmate for you."

When he took a step forward, I snatched up the knife and ran for it. Placing the blade between my teeth as I shoved open a window, I crawled through while grabbing the wooden carvings on the side of the boat.

"Get back here!" I heard his gravelly voice shout after me as I climbed up the side of the boat with ease. The waters were fairly calm at the moment, so the splashes of the waves we hit didn't have the sides soaked and slippery. Grunting as I grabbed the edge and hauled myself over, I rolled to where my feet landed on deck. Hearing scuffling and muffled grunts, I furrowed my brows while trying to see in the dark.

As the sun was finally peeking over the horizon, it was at that moment that I felt my blood run cold. The top deck was filled with pirates, dragging the crew to the center around the main mast as they were bound and gagged. Feeling my heart pounding faster than before, I began to back towards the longboats to try and escape unnoticed. The last port we docked at was but a days journey, so it wouldn't take long to get back and alert the authorities about the Petrel being attacked.

"You're a fast one." I heard a low voice chuckle as a person came skidding to a halt after running onto the deck. Looking from the crowd of pirates to see the man I had thrown a knife at, I swallowed the spit in my mouth. He stalked towards me with the eyes of a predator and I grabbed the knife in my mouth. As I locked eyes with him, he smirked and drew his sword, bringing attention to the both of us. The crew struggled in their restraints as the pirates began to laugh at the small figure they saw facing their brethren.

"I guess pirates will go to any low to catch a prize." I snarled. "Attacking a ship as its crew sleeps? How honorable."

"How tactical, you mean." He corrected while steadily holding his blade.

"Get 'em, Capt'n!" A pirate shouted while raising his fist into the air, and the man in front of me shifted the focus of his eyes. Taking that as my chance, I darted forward, aiming for his torso with my knife. However, his eyes were already on me as he smirked, quickly swinging his sword inwards, forcing me to leap back or be cut down. Fixing my grip on the hilt of the knife, I tried again and ducked down to the ground when he swung again. His movements were precise, so I knew his blade would be aimed right where I had been.

Twisting on one foot, I hooked the back of my other heel onto the pirate's foot and knocked his legs out from under him. There was a hushed silence on the boat as the man hit the deck and I was quick to stand. The pirate curled in on himself before jumping to his feet, standing firm and looking more serious than before.

"So, cooking isn't your only skill?" He muttered before slashing his sword through the air. Leaping to the side, I tucked and rolled out of the way before hopping up onto the edge of the boat's rail. Waiting until he aimed for me again, I jumped over the blade as I heard it dig into the wood where I had stood.

Now standing behind him, I spun around with my knife bared, but the man was just as quick, striking like a snake as his elbow shot out and struck me in the face. Going down, I groaned, seeing stars as I rolled off of my back and pushing myself up off of the deck. I could hear the man giving a short grunt before freeing his sword.

Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to stand while wiping the blood from my busted lip with the back of my arm. Turning to face the pirate, I kicked out, striking him in the ribs, but he grabbed my calf as he stumbled back a few steps. Swinging around, I lost my balance as the man tossed me over the edge of the boat. Quickly grabbing onto a wooden carving, only his hold was keeping me from falling off.

"Surrender or die. You're choice, Cook." He said lowly. Gulping as I saw the waters below reflecting the light of the rising sun, I latched my free leg around his hip and curled up. Striking my head against his, he fell back while a heavy throb shot through my nerves from my forehead.

Raising my knife above my head as I snarled, I swung down, aiming straight for his face. Quickly acting, his sword blocked my blade, catching on the hilt as my knife was only inches from his head. Placing one hand onto the pummel, I tried to force my blade closer, but the broad man had more brute strength than I did.

Shifting on his chest, I put my weight onto the knife, only getting a couple inches closer as the man had his jaw clenched. His blue eyes locked with mine just before he swung his sword outwards, flinging my knife out of my hand as he also lost grip on his blade. Without having much time to react, the pirate was swinging his fist and it hit heavy like a club against my jaw.

Seconds after his knuckles struck, I was falling limp as darkness flooded in. Turns out....he used the pummel of his own knife in his punch, adding more weight to the blow as he struck me unconscious.

~

Groaning as I woke up, I found that I could not move any of my limbs. My lip twitched up into a snarl as I looked down and my arms and legs tied to a chair as my torso and thighs were bound to the seat as well. Struggling, I could hardly even squirm under the ropes that were rough against my wrists.

"It's rare to see a lass aboard a ship." I jerked my head up as I heard a husky, feminine voice. Right in front of me, seated on an overturned rum barrel, was a pirate carving at a little piece of wood with a rather sharp knife. Their large hat hid most of their face, but I saw enough to know the person in front of me was a woman.

"What happened to the Petrel?" Immediately questioning, the woman glanced up at me with a fairly stoic expression.

"Took her cargo and sunk her." She answered bluntly. "We had no use for such an old boat, or her worthless crew." The pirate then pointed at me with her knife. "You, on the other hand...." She bounced the knife as the blade waved at me. "Well, I'm tired of eating that pig's slop. If they kept a woman on board for her cooking, she must be damned good."

"I am." I stated firmly, causing her to smirk at my confidence. "But who said I'd ever cook for a crew of thieves?" The woman slightly tilted her head down as she sheathed her knife and reached into one of her pockets. Tossing the stick she was carving away at, she unfolded the papers in her possession.

"These here are some pages from the your old Captain's journal. Wanna hear?" She smirked again, but didn't give me time to answer before she began to read them. 'Huh, a literate, female pirate, who would have thought?'

" _'We leave dock today, and it seems as though Mr. Higgins has found a new cook for us as well. I waited for the arrival as the crew was loading the Petrel and was surprised to find that the cook was such a runty child with bright eyes. I was tempted to turn them away as the child was a girl, but Mr. Higgins had informed me that her skill was not something that could be found just anywhere, so I allowed her aboard.'_ " Her voice was uncertain at times, so she wasn't the best reader. " _'I caught Mr. Higgins and the child whispering amongst themselves soon after, and my Quartermaster seemed fearful while the little girl was sweetly smiling. I overheard her sing a piece from a shanty, and Mr. Higgins paled at her words. Had I missed something, or had the girl threatened to toss him overboard with code by singing 'Drunken Sailor'?'_ " She put that page to the back while glancing at me before looking back to what was in her hands.

" _'It has been only a week since Deana has joined the Petrel and already my crew looks healthier and stronger. The girl is a devil in the kitchen, making meals from nothing as if by magic. My men are eating properly and none have yet to become sick. It seems Mr. Higgins was correct in his choice of cook....'_ " She skipped through a few pages before raising her brows as she went on. " _'The girl is becoming a woman and my crew is noticing. I feared what a few may do, but from what I witnessed today, she is a wolf not to be tempted. The galley has become her den and any man that dare enter without permission are bound to lose a finger or have a knife thrown at them. I leave her be, her skills are invaluable and she holds her own. At first glance, you may not notice, but she is clever and quick witted and I even saw her helping Mr. Higgins with his work. In all sincerity, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that Deana was smarter than any man aboard the Petrel....'_ "

" _'It's finally happened. Mrs. Blake has beaten the living Hell out of one of my men. However, I cannot punish her for the man had dared laid a hand on her. I trust the woman as much as Mr. Higgins, but the crew always changes and they all learn of the demon in the galley whenever they step aboard. I was at port just yesterday and it seems the previous crew members are spreading tales of the cursed Petrel. It was absurd to hear such an outrageous story, but what they had said actually helped the Petrel keep a trusty crew. In recollection, this is a summary of what I had heard: Whatever man that braves boarding the Petrel puts his life at stake. Shall he cross the sea-witch in the galley, he be cursed for eternity. Shall he serve its captain well, they be blessed with food not found anywhere in this world, in Heaven, or in Hell.'_ " Furrowing my brows, I had no clue the captain had been keeping such records of myself. Furthermore, tales of me were being twisted and spread within the ports.

Sure, I was becoming known, but not the way I intended....

" _'Sometimes I regret letting the devil onto my ship, but since I have, no storm nor pirate has brought grave harm to the Petrel. I have started believing some of the tales I overhear of Mrs. Blake, but she keeps my trust as she has yet to wrong me or the crew, save for those that dare anger her. The woman has a temper of a shark and the eyes of a harpy, seeing things that not even I have. Mr. Higgins, bless his soul, has finally settled on land, telling me in secret that the cook was the one to fund his store. Was this the payment in return for something? I'm not sure, but from what his letter told me, I believe he may have been the one to make the deal with the devil, giving Mrs. Blake a place to reside in exchange for the sum of money he received.'_ " The woman chuckled at the last part, shaking her head.

"There are more, going on and on about you being a blessing and a curse to the Petrel." She stated while waving the pages in her hand. "But we both know you are but a woman. You bleed and you feel pain as the rest of us. But the thing that is clearly said within your old captain's journal is that you're too valuable to leave behind."

"Was that bedtime story supposed to convince me to work for pirates?" I said coldly. "Because all it did was tell me that they believed me to be the devil or a witch."

"No, but it did let me know what you desire." The woman folded the papers and returned them to her pocket. "You want a place to belong, a place to be your's alone. What if I make a deal with you, let you have the galley in exchange for your skills? Good cooks are a rare commodity among our crews, so you could also go for your weight in gold, maybe more."

"....So either I stand by as you all plunder and kill others, feeding you as I do, or I'll be sold?" I questioned.

"You are a smart gal." She smirked "But our crew is a bit....different than most."

"It'd explain why you're a part of it." I commented, referring to her being a woman as well.

"Exactly. If you're as tough as the journal says you are, you're safe aboard the Ranger. The captain is also well respected by the crew, so if he says you are to be left alone, you will be."

"And by ' _respected'_ , you mean _feared_?"

"Both." She gave me a serious look while rising to her feet. "And the captain was smart enough to send me in to chat with you rather than one of those others idiots."

"Making him not a total idiot like rest, I assume?"

"Correct." The woman then drew one of her knives. "If you agree, I'll let you go. If you try to run, you'll find one of these in your leg." She raised her knife while stepping closer. Narrowing my eyes, I thought it through carefully.

"Since there are already rumors of me, why not up the ante?" I smirked and the woman chuckled.

"You may very well be a demon." She scoffed, then walked over to cut the ropes. And now that I was honestly thinking about it, this was good. If my father, wherever the Hell he be, heard of his daughter being a feared pirate, he'd piss himself and die of overwhelming rage. It was the perfect ' _fuck you_ ' along with my original plan. "We are currently on Nassau, so you'll have no where to run if you decide to change your mind. After your little fight with the captain, you've already made quite the impression among the crew." She added.

"....That was the captain?" The women nodded.

"I'll be off to tell him your decision, but you stay on this section of the beach. If not, you'll more than likely stumble into another crew who just sees that you're a woman."

"What's your name?" I asked as she was heading to the door.

"Call me Bonny." She softly smiled over her shoulder before leaving.


	4. Newbie

"So yer the new cook, eh?" Someone said from behind me as I was walking towards the water on the beach. The sand was bright and loose beneath my feet, and I turned to see a large, filthy man. He was missing a few teeth and had scars all over his face and arms.

"If you're a part of the Ranger's crew, yes." I replied. Upon answering, the man eyed me closely before grinning.

"Why don't ya show us what ya got? It's just about dinner time." He reached out a hand to grab me and I stepped back to avoid his hand.

"Lead the way, but don't touch me." My voice was low as I narrowed my eyes at him. He slightly raised a brow, but retracted his arm before walking away. Following him, he walked on the beach towards the bundle of tents and wooden sheds put together further away from the water's edge.

"Oi! Bring out the food, we're testing the cook!" He called while waving his arm. Men gathered around a fire rose to their feet, glancing at me with amusement as they smirked and chuckled. A few went off only to come back with pots and boxes of different foods. Crossing my arms as they set them down in front of my, I eyed them cautiously.

These weren't the people from the Petrel, so none of them knew my boundaries or what I was capable of. Because of that, they weren't afraid or intimidated by me-I was going to have to change that.

"Who all wants to eat?" I questioned, my voice not wavering. Everyone around the fire rose their hands while shouting 'Aye!' and I held out my hand. "I'm gonna need some knives." A buff, bald guy threw one at me, impaling the blade into the sand. Clenching my jaw, I bent over to pick it up and grabbed one of the pots.

Silently going back to the water, I scooped up some of the salty ocean and returned while placing the pot over the fire. Wiping off the knife with my pant leg, I mentally counted how many of them were watching and glanced over the ingredients they provided me. Going about six feet away from the fire, I dug my heel into the sand and drug it in a circle around the pit.

"Don't cross this line." I stated. "Your safety may not be guaranteed if you do." They all burst into laughter and I ignored them while dragging the boxes around to form a make-shift kitchen.

Grabbing an onion, I chopped up the green parts and tossed them into the pot while saving the root for later. Peeling a few potatoes, I felt unease from all of the eyes on me as I worked. I missed my galley and their stares were irritating the Hell out of me.

Using the side of a crate as a cutting board, I began to chop vegetables and toss them into the pot as the salt water slowly began to boil. Finding bits of dried meat, I cut them into small cubes and minced the onion I had set to the side. Rubbing the onions into the meat, I set them into a bowl before stirring the contents in the boiling pot.

The smell of food was thick in the air and I tossed some logs into the fire to make it burn hotter, sending embers flying into the sky. Digging the knife into the side of the crate, I picked up the bowl of onions and meat before going back to the pit. Carefully scooping them into the pot, I tossed the bowl to the side to stir everything together. Wiping my hands on my pants, I glanced around, making sure none of them had stepped past my drawn boundary.

Sure enough, they were all seated around the fire just beyond the line in the sand. They watched with varied expressions and I heard a few stomachs growling. Good, they were distracted enough to not get closer. However, when we boarded the Ranger, I'd have to teach them to stay out of the galley like my circle on the beach. I'd have more access to knives then, but pirates were different from normal people and would more than likely take longer to get the hint to leave me alone.

Checking the contents of the pot as it was bubbling and smelling incredible, I saw that it was pretty much done. Returning to where the knife was, I grabbed it while raising my head.

"I'm finished." I stated clearly and caught some of the men grinning as they rose to their feet. Out the corner of my eye, I saw one of them step inside the circle and threw the knife, making the man freeze in his tracks. "I didn't say you could cross that line." There was a hushed silence before they all burst into a roaring laughter, watching as the man stepped back outside of the boundary.

"Ah, Deana! Showing off your skill to the crew, I see." A scrawny man with odd facial hair came strutting up while walking with confidence. I saw Bonny behind him and a familiar silhouette following them both. The man that had spoken paused just beyond the line in the sand as he clasped his hands together. "And you've made dinner, I see. I must say, our cook will be very displeased if you've managed to outdo him."

"Well, I have." I crossed my arms while raising my chin. "There is no cook that could outdo me."

"Ooh, confidence! I must say, it suits you."

"Stop your flattery." My lip twitched up into a snarl. "It's disgusting." The scrawny man looked taken back, but only cleared his throat before going quiet as Bonny smirked. The tall figure in the back just walked around them, ignoring the boundary I had drawn as he grabbed a bowl from the crates and went up to the pot. Not saying a word, he served himself some food before plopping down on an empty barrel.

I itched to throw a knife at him, but the only one I had been given was on the other side of the circle and I doubted I'd just be let by if I had thrown a blade at the captain....again.

The only sound came from the crackling fire as the crew watched their broad captain take a bite. When his eyes locked on me, he addressed the scrawny man.

"Jack, let the cook know that he is no longer needed. He can find work elsewhere with another crew." The man's voice was low as he smirked, then continued to eat while ignoring my glare. The crew cheered before invading my drawn boundary and serving up their own dinner as their captain had.

Great. Any ounce of authority I had before was destroyed by the simple action the man had made as he disregarded the circle in the sand. Holding back the snarl, I silently backed away from the crew while turning my back on the fire pit.

Well, at least I wasn't going to be sold or killed....

~

"For fuck's sake, you expect me to sleep here?" I furrowed my brows at the quartermaster with the strange hair. He paused, looked at the makeshift bed, then glanced to me with raising his eyebrows.

"I thought these sleeping accommodations would actually be quite nice for you, so I don't believe I quite understand the issue here." He hooked his thumbs into his belt while tilting his head. "Do you want more blankets or something?"

"The bed's not the issue, it's the fact that I'm in a fucking _tent_." Pointing over my shoulder with my thumb to outside, I felt a glare settle onto my face. "I'm literally surrounded by pirates, and I was unfortunate enough to be born with tits. You think I'll sleep in here with no way of protection with dozens of fucking rapist right outside?"

"Ah, I see your point." Jack nodded before shifting his weight on his feet. "I could give you a gun, but as you do not possess any of our trust, I'd be an idiot to put such a weapon into your hands. Would you feel more comfortable if someone where to be on guard out here?"

"Oh, yes, place a _man_ outside the tent made from fucking _sheets_ that is impenetrable from all sides save for the bloody entrance." I said with heavy sarcasm. "A toddler could come in here and kill me as I slept with how easy it is to get in here." For emphasis, I just grabbed the 'wall' behind me and lifted it off of the sand.

"Well, I highly doubt a _toddler_ would-" He cut himself off from the look on my face. "Okay, but you're being quite difficult right now. You're new, and a woman as you have clearly stated, and this is all we can provide along with my word that no harm shall befall you."

"You want me to trust your word? A quartermaster compromised of skin and bone that I've just met?"

"That's a bit harsh." He mumbled while shifting on his feet again. Raising my brows, I crossed my arms while looking at him.

"You're a bunch of bloody pirates, and I'm being difficult and harsh? I sincerely apologize for my worries of being attacked while in this flimsy as fuck tent while _pirates_ are right outside on all sides of me." Jack looked at me as he crossed his arms. "Now that we've spoken and you've given your word, I do believe I can rest very peacefully without any concern for my well-being."

"I have _never_ met a woman as _sarcastic_ as you. I feel personally _attacked_ every time you open your bloody mouth."

"Be glad I'm not ripping your balls off for even being within four feet of me." I snarled, making the quartermaster tense up.

"Jesus Christ, I do believe I now understand why your previous captain feared you so."

"Who all has seen those pages?"

"....Pages?"

"From the journal that Bonny had."

"Is that what those were?" Jack looked a bit puzzled. "What would pages have to with anything?"

"....Did you not read them?" Raising a brow, I was a bit confused now.

"Why would I have interest in a few pages from a captain's journal?"

"If you didn't read them, how do you know the captain feared me?"

"I overheard him rambling about a demon in the galley when we were raiding the Petrel." The man waved his hand while making a face. "Imagine my surprise when I see some tiny thing crawling up the side of the ship from the galley below only to discover that this tiny thing is a sarcastic beast full of vulgarity and estrogen." He then pointed at me. "And I agree with that man, you're a bloody devil of sass and sarcasm."

"I could be a devil of gore when I rip your guts out for pissing me off."

"I prefer the sarcasm, thank you." Jack nodded, but took a step back as a caution.

"Oi, are you two done yet? We'd like to actually sleep without the 'fuck's being shouted every five seconds." Bonny popped her head into the tent before stepping in.

"I'm sorry, but our new cook is displeased with her sleeping arrangements due to the sort sleeping outside." The quartermaster rolled his eyes before looking to the woman with the large hat and long coat.

"....I'll stay in here with ya." The woman then looked to me. "None of them have the balls to fuck with me."

"And those that do don't keep them for much longer." Jack sighed.

"....Fine."

"What?" The man furrowed his brows.

"Fine. Her- I trust. You and them? Can fuck off."

"So I have to have a uterus to be trusted?"

"No, _she_ holds power among the crew and she's a _woman_. It's much more unlikely that I have to worry about being beaten and raped with her around." I pointed to Bonny. "Plus, do you see how many blades she has? Guns only fire half of the time while knives have a much higher percentage of working. Oh course I'd put more trust in her than you." Jack scoffed at me while tossing up his hands.

"Women, I swear." He grumbled before leaving the tent. It went quiet, and Bonny just looked at me before smirking as she plopped down.

"You should rest." She stated while tilting her hat. "If the capt'n says the crew is to leave you alone, they will. He'll probably tell them tomorrow."

"What was so wrong with saying it today?" I spoke with an edge in my voice.

"They're idiots, they have to process things a little at a time." Bonny replied. "Getting a new cook that's also a woman is a bit much for their tiny brains to get in one day." I sighed through my nose while sitting down on the make-shift bed.

"You know, I'd feel much safer with something I could protect myself with."

"I'm not going to give you a gun."

"I don't want one." I replied while laying down with my hands behind my head. Staring up at the ceiling of the shitty tent, I could hear the fire still burning outside along with the jumbled voices of those that were still awake.

"....Only use it for self defense. If you go cuttin' up the crew, the capt'n would have my head." Bonny said softly as she gently tossed a knife onto my stomach. Glancing to her, she wasn't even looking at me and was instead focused on outside.

"This is why I like you better." I popped off while grabbing the blade. Rolling onto my side, I held it to my chest while closing my eyes. If I actually slept at all, it'd be fitful from how uncomfortable and tense I was. On the Petrel, I had my own sort of power, and the men didn't dare treat me like some woman or whore.

Here, however....I had practically nothing. I had nothing but the frail connection to the female pirate and the knife in my hand as I was in a den of murderous pirates. At least on a ship there were longboats to escape on, but this was an island jam-packed with pirates and you couldn't walk five steps without seeing one of them....


	5. Cutlass

"A knife. You gave her a knife." The quartermaster said flatly as Bonny and I stood outside the tent the next morning. I was tucking the blade behind my belt as he was looking to the woman next to me. "She threatened to gut me yesterday, and you give her the means to do it with?"

"Sod off, I'm not going to gut you unless you give me reason to." I stated with a rather calm voice as I glanced around. As I had suspected, I hardly slept at all last night. Every time there was a voice just outside of the tent, I'd wake up, or even when one of the crew drunkenly laughed too loud. Certain sounds would make my eyes pop open, and all I could do was make sure Bonny was still there and that the knife was still in my hands.

"I'll hold you to that, but don't be offended when I refuse to stand within arm's length of you." Jack looked at the blade in my belt while raising his brows.

"I'd prefer that, actually." Shooting him a glare, it seemed as if at least the quartermaster was aware not to mess with me.

~

"Cook. With me." Glancing up, I saw the large man Bonny called Captain leaning into my tent.

"Why?"

"I'm taking you into Nassau." He stated. "You need to know how this island works." His face was stoic, and I furrowed my brows while standing. Dusting the sand off of my pants, I looked to the man.

"Can I assume that also being seen with you will hint others to leave me the fuck alone?" The man's eyebrow twitched up.

"If you're a part of my crew, others will most likely leave you be. However, if you're weak, there's no guarantee you'll be safe." The man fully stepped into the tent while looking over his shoulder. "But with how you handled yourself on the Petrel, I do believe you have nothing else to worry about."

"What about your own crew?" I crossed my arms while slightly tilting my head. "If everyone fears _them,_ then _they_ have nothing to fear."

"That's where you're wrong." He smirked. "They fear me."

"Then you're saying you're the only one I really have to worry about?"

"Only if you cross me. Do your duty and I can easily overlook the fact that you're a woman. I'll treat you as an equal to my men." His voice was low, and it seemed as if he was being serious.

"And how am I to trust you? You're a captain to a crew of thieves."

"How about we start with proper introductions?" The man got a small smile while holding out his hand. "Captain Charles Vane." Skeptically looking at his outstretched hand, I hesitantly took it.

"....Deana Blake." I stated as he shook my hand and happened to glance to the knife in my belt.

"I see you've made an ally already." The blue eyed man stated after turning to leave the tent. Not saying anything, I simply followed him out as the sand moved beneath my feet. Men were working along the beach, and when the ground became a bit sturdier, there were actual buildings and what looked like a market.

It was rather shoddy, but it was more than I expected for a town of pirates. There was a butcher, a bakery even, a place for clothes, other food shops, open stalls for produce, and more. To reassure myself, I kept my hand on the hilt of the knife I had at all times while walking through the crowd.

Sticking close to Captain Vane, I would catch people eyeing me as the man in front of me would occasionally point something out and tell me what was there. At one point, he told me about a bar across the street from a brothel. He said the food there was good enough that you wouldn't vomit, but that didn't really tell me if it was even good at all....

As we walked through the town, Vane picked up an apple from a vendor and was munching on it while I followed behind him. Oddly enough, though, he didn't really seem that....scary. Bonny and Jack had both expressed this man's reputation was that of one to be feared, but despite his low voice, he spoke gently.

He carried himself like a man of power, and he kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was still there. I wasn't sure if he did it to ensure I hadn't run off or to check to see if I hadn't gotten lost. But, then again, cooks that could actually cook were hard to come by for crews.

Also....there seemed to be some sort of loose, political order here.

"Perfect. C'mere, there's someone you should meet here." Looking up at Vane, he walked to a open building with a crew gathered at the entrance. Inside I could see various good ranging from barrels of sugar to crates of fur and salted meat.

"Well, Port Royal is not that far." I heard a man say. "I think I'll keep my haul and my profits. No offense."

"None taken." A woman replied, but I couldn't see her through the round man standing in the way. "Though you might want to keep that decision to yourself."

"And why is that?"

"Because the last fool who turned her down was never seen or heard from again." Vane spoke up while leaning on a support beam, gaining the attention of those inside. "Though the same can't be said for his plunder. A seller brought it to Mistress Guthrie the very next day." He bit into his apple as I crossed my arms. _'That doesn't sound fishy at all.'_ I thought.

"And that seller would be you?" The fat man rose a brow. "Well, perhaps you'll find me more of a match than that other craven bastard. James Bridge of the Demeter." He had his hands on his hips as he stepped towards Vane. He had a cocky smirk, but the captain next to me didn't seem impressed.

"Charles Vane....of the Ranger." He replied, and I visibly saw a change in the other man's demeanor as pigs were squealing from a pin. His eyes looked frightened as he shifted on his feet, and I glanced to Vane. So he honestly did have a feared reputation....then why did he seem much nicer than that?

"The negro gentleman takes our goods, does he?" The fat man politely said as he turned to the woman he had speaking to. The man and the blonde both nodded before the fat one ushered his crew out. "Come on. We're off. Come on." Vane just smirked while biting into his apple as they left.

When he leaned off of the beam, he walked towards the woman and the man with hair cut like a helmet on his head.

"That wasn't necessary." The woman stated while putting a hand on her hip.

"But fun, nonetheless." Vain leaned onto the wooden counter as the breeze lifted the ends of his scarf. "I need a sword, have you gotten any good ones lately?"

"What's wrong with your's?" The woman raised her brow.

"It's not for me, it's for her." He replied while glancing to me. "Miss Eleanor, meet the Ranger's new cook, Deana Blake."

"A woman?" Her brows furrowed for a second. "What happened to the last cook for your galley?" She asked while waving her hand to the man beside her. He walked away, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Let's say his services were no longer needed. Deana, this is Miss Eleanor Guthrie. She is the heart and mind of Nassau, and this is where we bring our hauls for her redistribution." Vane gestured to the blonde while looking at me.

"....A woman runs this island?" I said lowly. "No wonder the streets aren't filled with rot."

"That is because my mind isn't driven by what's between my legs." Eleanor popped off. "I don't believe I've seen you around before, where'd he pick you up from?"

"Basically kidnapped me from his latest prize." I replied, and the blonde gave Vane a look.

"And how did he possibly convince you to willingly join his crew?"

"He didn't. The other lass with the blades did. I figure cooking for a crew is better than being sold to a whorehouse or whatnot." There was a slight bitter tone by the end in my voice.

"I can't say I disagree with that." She nodded as the man beside her returned and handed her a few swords. "We have these in your size, take one as a welcome gift to Nassau." She set the swords onto the counter while gesturing to them. Glancing between her and Vane, I was quite confused. I had figured things were much, much worse on an island riddled with pirates, but so far....it was like any other town.

"No shit?"

"No shit. I need live crews to bring me hauls, and you're going to need more than a knife to defend yourself if you're to be a pirate for this island. Work hard and do what you're supposed to, and you'll make a good living with us. So, pick one." Eleanor said seriously while looking down at the blades.

Hesitating at first, I then picked one up and pulled it from it's sheath. I honestly had no clue how to pick a cutlass, all I ever handled were knives and that had been sufficient thus far. Wait....there was a time I had learned to fight with a sword, but that was when I was still a teen and the blade was much too big for me.

I went for the plain one with a silver cross-guard and a leather wrapped hilt. It felt good in my hand, so I assumed it would work fine in actual battle should I find myself in need of it. Putting it on my belt next to the knife, the man with Eleanor took back the rest to put them away.

"I'd like a word in private." Vane spoke up, looking to the blonde woman. "We have some business to get sorted."

"....Wonderful." She said flatly.

"Stay in the market, I'll find you when we're done." The captain said to me before walking off with the woman. Watching him leave, I just stood there for a good second, feeling lost now that I was alone. Glancing around, I didn't know what the fuck I was supposed to do, so I strolled back outside to the market.

I did pause at one point when I overheard two men speaking over a pair of paintings and comparing them. One insisted they were identical while the other did not.

"Fruit. Fruit." The pirate waved his hand between the paintings. "Tits. Tits." And it seemed that was what he was using to validate his argument despite one image being a clear work of fine art while the other was....less than par.

"Deana." My head snapped up as my name was called. Vane's face was twisted into a less than pleasant expression and I assumed whatever was said between he and Miss Eleanor had put him in such a mood. He walked with determination as his eyes were focused straight ahead, and I hurried to catch up to him.

The once calm man from before now seemed quite irked, and I said nothing of the matter due to the apparent reputation he possessed. If he were angry, who's to say he wouldn't possibly take it out on me should I say the wrong thing? So, to prevent it, I kept my mouth shut while following him.

His longer legs gave him larger strides, so I wasn't able to walk at all unless I wanted to be lost in town. Vane entered a building, and I felt my face fall flat as I saw the inside. It was a brothel.

What the fuck could be so urgent enough to make this captain storm into a brothel the way that he was?

Tailing after him up the stairs though, I had to admit it was sort of interesting how they had birds and snakes roaming freely inside. Vane spoke to Bonny as she stood outside a door, their voices remained low enough that they couldn't be heard before he entered the room.

"So you got a sword now?" Bonny crossed her arms while looking at me.

"A gift from the Eleanor woman. Probably to put her in my good graces somehow, though I'm not sure." I stated. "What the fuck's going on?" I gestured with my head to the room Vane had disappeared into. The woman in front of me cautiously glanced around before speaking lowly.

"....We've got a lead on a new prize that's worth quite a bit. Last us a good while if we get it, but we have to do a little dealing to buy the information we need."

"From your tone and the captain's behavior, it'd be safe to assume this haul is one you don't get very often."

"Of course not." She scoffed. "You came just in time to have a part in it. Try not to fuck it up"

"No promises." I smirked before Vane walked back out of the room and slammed the door behind him. He looked pissed as there was a fire in his eyes, and that look alone on his face was like he was a completely different person from the man walking me through town.


	6. Head Held High

5,000 pesos worth of black pearls had been lost at the wrecks the night Jack and Vane went to fetch the information needed to capture the prize Bonny told me about. All those pearls....they were nearly the whole of the money the Ranger crew possessed. They had been lost when Jack had fallen into the water, and now the crew was divided now that their money was gone.

And I, being nearly a complete stranger to it all, tried to remain as a neutral party to it all. I wasn't about to take sides, but if it came down to where I had no choice, I sure as Hell wasn't going to be on the opposing side of Bonny. She was fierce, and not only that, she showed genuine concern for me despite her being a pirate. Sure, she showed it in strange ways, but the fact that she did at all meant something.

I was new to this pirating world and I held no standing with the men, and that was another reason why I wouldn't oppose the person that was helping me gain my footing here. Bonny, Jack, and Vane in their own times were teaching me about the politics and rules with this island.

So far it was clear to me that you do not cross Vane, and you do not cross Eleanor. Other than that, all I really had to be concerned with was Captain Flint's crew. It seemed he and his men were the only competition for those of the Ranger.

"Deana." I looked up from my chicken leg and bit of bread to see Vane and Jack leaving from their meeting with Eleanor and Captain Flint. They were arranging a sort of agreement to try and use the Walrus and the Ranger together to capture the gold of the Urca de Lima. However, as the captains were not in good terms, the quartermasters were to handle the negotiating. "We're done here." Vane stated.

Stuffing what was left of the bread into my mouth, I carried the rest of my chicken with me out of the door. I had only tagged along to try the food at Eleanor's place, and Vane hadn't lied about it being good enough that you didn't barf. It was fair in taste, but it was nothing compared to what I could make.

"I was getting somewhere." Jack grumbled while putting on a ridiculous pair of sunglasses.

"You're too clever for your own good, Jack." Vane replied.

"Regardless, our fortunes appear to be on the rise." I glanced to a horse walking past as the scrawny man spoke. "So...." They paused in the middle of the street. "perhaps it's time you finished cleaning up last night's mess before someone finds out and everything we've achieved here goes up in smoke." Vane glanced at me, and I knew that Jack was talking about the whore Bonny captured the night before.

She apparently had a part in all of this, and her night with the crew was to make up to them her share in the lost pearls. I understood the reasoning in why she had been taken, but that didn't mean that I agreed with how she was being treated....

Walking back towards the beach, we stepped up to a wooden shack and Jack leaned on the wall by the door.

"You're going to help clean her up, okay?" The captain said to me softly before he opened the door and went in. I frowned, seeing the woman naked and chained to the wall as she was curled up. She was dirty, and I could see bruises on her skin. "You do understand I had no choice." Vane stated, but spoke in a low tone. "What you did, it required an answer."

Going over to the pitcher of water, I began to pour some into a bowl as Vane crouched by the whore.

"I've been meaning to ask you. Our mutual.... _friend_ , she put guards at your door, tried to protect you. Yet....you left anyway. Why?"

"You really have to ask? How did you feel when she threw you aside?" The woman replied, her voice having a French sounding accent. Vane didn't respond, but I heard the clicking of the lock on her cuffs as I grabbed a rag and took the bowl of water over to her. Setting it down, I stuck the rag into the water before wringing it out and looking to the woman.

"Tell me if it hurts, and I'll back off." I said lowly while reaching up to wipe the dried blood from her nose. She remained still, and Vane tossed some clothes onto the shoddy bed for her.

"After dark, Jack will get you on a boat and have you on your way out of here." Vane told the woman before he went to the door. Helping her get cleaned and dressed, she was quiet the entire time as Jack remained outside.

"You must be the new cook." She mumbled as I was fixing the ties on the back of her dress.

"Heard of me, have ya?"

"There was talk of you at the brothel." She answered. "....The Ranger crew aren't certain what to think of you yet."

"Well, I'd figure. They don't know me, they're pirates, and I have a pair of tits. How could they be certain of me as a part of their crew if I'm a woman and only been with them for a few days?"

"You're in danger with them, you know?"

"I can protect myself when I'm awake." I stated. "It's only when I sleep that I worry."

"How can you protect yourself against a crew of men?" The woman glanced over her shoulder.

"Despite being a woman, I've sailed the seas since I was 13. I've learned to handle men and a blade, and the quicker I am to act, the less likely they are to step past my boundaries. I may not overpower them with strength, but I have speed and wit." Tying the strings on her dress, I continued. "I was with the Petrel, the galley was my home, and no man dared cross me after learning my accuracy at throwing a knife."

"But now....you're with pirates and no safe zone. You're in the open, bare of all the power you once had. How do you expect to regain what took you years to manifest?"

"Yes, I may no longer have all of that, but I'm still just as fierce as I was then. I've just not been given the opportunity to really show it."

"And that is why you are by Vane and Bonny's side?"

"....Yes. They hold power with the crew, so I know I'm safe as long as I have one of them around. Though, there will come a day when I can walk the beach without worrying about being surrounded by pirates."

"You said you can protect yourself, so why aren't you already? Staying with those two makes it seem as if you are a frightened child, not a fearsome woman." She said calmly, and it struck me. The woman had a point.... "Walk with your head held high and they will see."

~

Jolting when I heard screaming, I grabbed my knife and sword and bolted from my tent. The crew were gathered in the middle of the camp, and the screaming was coming from the center of it all. The men's faces were solemn and grim as I pushed past them, and when I finally saw what was happening, I felt a spark of anger in my gut.

Pulling my knife, I went to stop this vulgar scene playing before me, but a firm hand grabbed my shoulder. My lip twitched up into a snarl as I turned on who had me, and Bonny's eyes widened a fraction at the look on my face.

"Leave it be, it's none of your business." Bonny said lowly, and the woman was still screaming as she was held down by someone while another of the men was fucking her from behind. It was obscene, and no one was making a move to stop any of it.

"I don't fucking care." I growled. "Let me go." Her and I looked at each other, waiting for the other one to give in, but a blonde raced past and picked up a piece of wood. It was Eleanor, and she swung the log in her hand at the bald man on the whore. She hit the man a second time, and threatened the one holding the woman down.

She slowly lowered her weapon before turning to Vane that now stood in the circle of men. I wasn't sure how far she had run, but her hair and clothes weren't nearly as kept as when we had first met.

"You did this." Eleanor seethed before looking to the rest of the Ranger crew. "Listen to me very carefully. You are, all of you, this whole crew, as of right now finished!" She shouted while waving her arm. "You will not sell anything. You will not buy anything. You will not eat anything."

"Eleanor." Vane stepped forward.

"Unless....unless you decide right now to elect yourselves a new captain." The blonde glanced to Vane before addressing the crew again. "Unless you decide to join the crew of Captain Flint. You will join his crew and you will grant him disposal of your ship. So what will it be?" _'....She's a tyrant.'_ I thought as I watched the woman lash out. "Beggars under an old captain? Or rich men under a new one?"

Vane clenched his jaw as he raised his chin. Eleanor was stripping the captain of his power, and I had a feeling it was due to a more personal reason from the way she angrily shouted. Slowly, men from the Ranger began to walk away from their captain and stand beneath Flint as he was standing there with his quartermaster. Eleanor now looked right at Vane as his crew was leaving him. Her expression was firm, and her standing was clear.

"You move, you die." Vane said lowly to Bonny as she shifted on her feet. My grip on my knife tightened as I looked around. Captain Flint was a man I did not know, as was his crew. His face, as I looked at him now, was like stone carved into an expression that showed no emotion. He did not look relieved to have the second ship and crew for the Urca prize, nor did he look surprised or anything by Eleanor's decision or how Vane's men were now his.

The blonde woman knelt by the whore with concern in her eyes. She was speaking quietly, but the other woman wouldn't even look at her. When she finally spoke to Eleanor, she said something that made the blonde's face twist with confusion and sorrow. Pushing Eleanor away, she rose to her feet and faced what was left of Vane's crew.

"My actions cost you your pearls." Her voice shook. "Until the debt is paid, I am yours." And she walked forward, passing the captain and Bonny and everyone before Eleanor herself stormed off in the opposite direction.


	7. Drunken Stupor

"Captain Charles Vane." I crouched in front of the man laying on his side in his tent. It stunk from a week's worth of piss, vomit, and booze, and the man that had walked so mightily before was now high off his ass on opium. "A man once feared by many is reduced to this because he lost his crew."

It had been only a week since Eleanor stripped him of his men and ship, and now he had nothing but his name, eight men, Bonny, his quartermaster, and a cook. He was wasting away, spending what money he had left on rum and drugs. Vane looked up at me, his pupils blown from the opium, and mumbled something incoherently.

"What?" I furrowed my brows while leaning down.

"Fuck....you."

"Mm, yes, a drunken man trying to tell me off. Were you honestly this weak to begin with? Was your strength nothing but a show held up by your crew?" Popping my knuckles, I glanced around his tent to the other bottles of empty rum. "Honestly, I wouldn't have been drug into this mess if you hadn't raided the Petrel. I blame you, but seeing you like this....pisses me off."

Pushing his shoulder back when he tried to roll over, I furrowed my brows.

"Oi, are you even listenin'? You killed my crew, sunk my ship, and took me away from my fucking galley to work for you, and this is how you act now? Get off your sodding ass and get a boat so I can cook again. You're a bloody pirate captain, fucking act like it." Vane seemed to ignore me as he reached for a bottle of rum and took a drink. "All right, fine." Getting to my feet, I rolled my eyes. "Men. They're such babies." I huffed while walking out of his tent to go find something to eat.

~

"I can't do it, Jack."

"Yes, you can. You simply present my crew's haul to Miss Guthrie as if it were your own." Jack replied as he held his hat and was speaking to another man. I leaning on a cart next to Bonny with my arm's crossed, and these two were trying everything to find a way back onto the sea. "You get a percentage. Everybody wins."

"I get caught selling a grain of salt for you, the girl puts my crew on the outs same as you. I just can't risk it. It ain't you she has the problem with, Jack. Why stick with him?" And that seemed to be the end of it with that captain.

"It's a good question." Bonny stated as we were walking through town.

"No, it's not." Jack replied.

"There are other ships."

"Had a few offers, have you?" The quartermaster asked, and she glanced away. "Makes sense. You'd be an asset to any crew. Now ask how many offers good old Jack has received since our run-in with the lady Guthrie." Without waiting for an answer, he held up his fingers like a zero and blew through it. "My only assets are my wits, and as the man who just lost 5,000 pesos of his ship's own money, they are ill-valued at the moment. Join another crew right now, the only task I will be trusted with is swabbing out the piss buckets. And that, my darling, I feel compelled to state out loud, life is simply too fucking short!" Jack shouted.

Bonny gave him a look, but said nothing as we paused in the street.

"What, you're angry with me, too?"

"Hey! Jack Rackham!" We turned to a man walking out of the brothel.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." The quartermaster sighed.

"A word."

"I'm sorry, I'd prefer you made an appointment. Quite a full day ahead." Jack waved his arm.

"You took one of me best whores for your private use." The man had two others with him as he glared at Jack. "Every day she's not under my roof fucking costs me money."

"Ah, yes, but my crew sees her as responsible for the loss of a great deal of their money. They see this as a debt being repaid, nothing more."

"Well, I see it as thieving bullshit." The older man spat.

"Then I believe we're at an impasse." Jack stated, and there was a second of quiet as the other man seemed confused. "Disagreement without prospect of resolution"

"Fuck you, Jack. Give me back the whore."

"I think you might have to explain it again in simpler terms." I popped off. "I do believe the man is an utter imbecile, Jack."

"It feels good that your smart remarks are not directed at me, but I don't believe now is the time for them."

"How about I put you to work instead?" The man looked to me now. "See how long that attitude lasts while you're on your back day in and day out."

"Even try, and I'll fucking rip you open." I snarled as my hand wrapped around my knife.

"Just give me the whore, then."

"You'd take her back yourself if you had the balls." Bonny spoke.

"A few less men outside that tent than yesterday, which had fewer than the day before." The brothel owner smirked while tucking his thumbs behind his belt. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer sooner than la'er." He then turned and walked back into the whorehouse.

"What the Hell was that?" Jack looked to Bonny as she crossed her arms. "Do you have some problem with us holding onto that whore?" The woman's jaw ticked. "You do realize she's the only thing keeping what's left of our crew at our side."

"Fuck you." She gave him a look while nodding before storming off. Jack sighed before turning to me.

"If you plan on saying something sarcastic before you walk off, please spare me and just skip it."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"....What? Really?" His brows furrowed, and I shrugged. "Wait, why are you even still here? You're a cook, you could have your pick of crews to join."

"I asked myself the same damn thing, and you know what answer I found myself with?" I asked, and Jack raised his brows. "I have no fucking clue why." Glancing to the goat being led across the street, I continued. "Maybe because I feel indebted? I'm not sure, but I'll tell you when I figure it out....maybe."

~

"All right, ya piece of shit, I'm back." I flung back the flap of the tent as I carried in some water. "You're getting sober, and that's that." Kicking some rum bottles to the side along with his opium pipe, I knelt down and placed the fresh water by Vane's bed.

"Fuck you." He mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, fuck me. Is that all you can say with rum in your veins and drugs in your head?" I popped off while ringing out the rag in the bowl. "You can't even reprimand me for talking so ill to you. Hell, if I wanted, I could probably slit your throat, steal a little boat, and be free of this place once and for all with you like this." Carefully wiping the old blood from his cheek that was facing me, I glanced over the scars littering his bare chest. "But I'm not going to. You were nice to me. After knocking me out, that is."

"The fuck did I ever do to you?" His voice remained low, and I rose a brow.

"Where you not listening again, or-" And I cut off, seeing the look on his face. His pupils were still blown, and he wasn't even looking at me. If anything, he was more than likely talking to some hallucination conjured by the booze and drugs. "Once you've regained sobriety, you'll get a boat, a crew, and you'll sail the seas again." I sighed. "You'll be that fierce captain that held his head high once more, and I'll be throwing knives at bastards walking into my galley." My voice was softer now as I rinsed off the rag. "We had a deal, didn't we? Sure, Bonny made it for you, but I was to be given a kitchen in exchange for my cooking."

"That's why I loved you." Vane spoke to his hallucination again, and I paused when I saw that he was actually crying. "And you destroyed me." His face was full of hurt as tears leaked from his eyes. _'Dear God....'_ I thought while wringing out the rag once more. To see such a man so utterly weak, so utterly broken down to this....I was left speechless.

I thought his drinking and his fighting and his outbursts from before were due to his name being driven to the mud as everything was taken from him, but this.... This was more. This was grief not of losing his ship and crew, but of someone he loved turning on him. And I was no idiot to not be able to figure that he was speaking of Eleanor Guthrie.

Before....I never honestly saw pirates as real men. I saw them nothing more than monsters that raped, murdered, and plundered and that was all. But after actually being around them, well, Bonny, Jack, and Vane, I came to see that I was wrong, and to witness such a fierce captain crying in his bed, I felt guilty for ever thinking he was less than human. No monster would cry such tears as he was.

Wiping his face with the rag again, I cleaned the tears from his eyes, and rinsed out the rag once more. Wringing it out, I scrubbed the dry blood from his chest and spoke gently even if he probably couldn't hear me in his opium induced haze.

"I may not have been here long, and I may have yet to haul a prize with a crew, but I'll be damned if I sit by and watch the man that spared me an early, watery grave rot because of some woman. You've given me food, a sword, and even a place to stay. Sure, it didn't come under the best of circumstances but....I didn't have to pay my life's savings to get you to want me on your crew."

My voice was hardly over a whisper, but I was more than likely talking to myself with how out of it Vane was, so it didn't matter. Seeing a strange scar on his chest by his collar bone, it didn't look like it was made from any weapon I knew of. It looked sort of like a....brand. Vane sniffed, and I glanced back to his face as he was still crying.

"....Who are you, Charles Vane?" I mumbled while touching his cheek and wiping away a tear with my thumb. Of course, I'd never show such delicacy to anyone, but the man was higher than a crow's nest while stuck in some hallucination of the Guthrie woman as he cried. Maybe it was because of how I had seen him before that I felt something at seeing Vane in such a state, but the simple fact that he was drowning himself this way because of Eleanor's actions felt wrong.

Snatching my hand back from his face when he suddenly sat up, I he looked straight ahead to outside of his tent before stumbling out.

"O-oi! Where the Hell are you going, you drunken bastard?!" I rose my voice while quickly putting the rag I held into the water and jumped to my feet. "Get back here before you're all bloody again!" But despite his condition, Vane had quite a head start as he was swaying towards town. I lost sight of him briefly because of the people in the street, but when I saw him again, I ran after to make sure he didn't get into anymore trouble.

"Ain't this a sad sight?" I heard a man drawl as I turned down the alley Vane had gone into. "Miss Guthrie should have just had you killed. It would have been more merciful. Now, are you going to give me back me whore?" Coming into view, I saw the brothel owner and Vane on his knees as another man held him up by his hair. He was let go though, as he vomited all over the balding man's shoes. "Jesus! On me shoe! Oh, fuck it! Put him out of his misery."

"Don't you fucking dare!" I snarled, drawing my knife as one of the men raised a pistol.

"Oh, it's you, is it?" The brothel owner glanced over his shoulder at me. "You think a little blade is anything when we've got a gun?" He chuckled, but my focus was on the man holding the pistol to Vane's head. "Don't worry, once your captain's been dealt with, I'll put you to work. How's that sound? A steady source of income, huh?"

"I'll only give a warning, put the gun down or my face will be the last thing you ever fucking see." The men laughed, not taking me seriously at all, and when I saw the one with the pistol going to fire, I threw my knife. The gun flew from his hand, impaled in the sand by my blade.

"Oh, for Christ-" And the man was cut off when Vane took action. It all happened so fast that I was hardly able to register it, but within a mere few seconds, the pirate had the three men on the ground with two already dead and the brothel owner stuck to the ground with a knife in his leg. He screamed in pain while Vane swayed to his feet, now covered in blood that wasn't his.

"Wait!" The last one alive raised his hand as the captain advanced on him. "Listen to me!" Vane ignored the man as he kicked him in the jaw. "The whorehouse....I'll cut you in for half." He weakly pleaded, trying to get Vane to back off. "We'll be partners. Please." The pirate snarled as he placed his boot onto the brothel owner's neck, choking him beneath his foot as the man was too weak to fight back.

I just stood there, watching in a strange aw at how the man standing could have possibly done what he had to the three men. I heard a cracking noise as Vane twisted his foot, and he broke the man's neck.

"....Remind me to never piss you off when you're drunk." I mumbled, gaining the pirate's attention as his eyes gleamed in dim lighting of torches and moonlight. It was as if a feral beast stood there instead of a man until his gaze seemed to come into focus.

"The fuck are you doing here?" Vane questioned with a gruff voice.

"You just ran out of your tent in a drunken stupor, and your track record as of late meant you'd get into a fight with whoever bad-mouthed you. I came to drag you back to the camp." I calmly replied, and Vane bent over to pull my knife from the sand. The pistol was now useless from the hole my blade made, so the captain tossed it before handing me the knife hilt first.

"Go get Jack."

"Guess I may have been worried for nothing." I commented, looking to the three dead men as I took my blade from his hand. Sliding it back into my belt, I glanced to Vane to see an odd expression on his face. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't, and I simply walked away to go wake Jack to help Vane no doubt find a way to cover this up.


	8. Black Angel, Black Pearls

"Well, this is a stupid fucking idea." Bonny snarled quietly as we stood in the brothel as the women were cleaning up from the night before.

"Given the straits we're in, I would suggest there is no such thing. If we don't find a way to earn an income and soon, we will lose what little we have left of a crew. Or worse yet, we will be eaten by what little we have left of a crew." Jack replied. "Wish me luck." The quartermaster then went towards the madam as Vane and Bonny went to a table. There was some food and booze left out, and Bonny grabbed a bottle of rum while Vane picked up a bowl of what could pass as soup.

"Hold it right there." I stopped the captain, taking the bowl of cold food as I sniffed it. "Oh, good Lord! You were going to eat that?" My nose scrunched up as I turned away. "That looks like pig vomit and smells like rotten ass."

"I'm starving, what else do you suggest I eat?" Vane rose his brow at me.

"I'm a fucking cook, give me a minute." I set the bowl back down. "Don't eat that shit. Bonny, don't even try it either." Pointing to the two of them, I then turned on my heel to the whore sweeping the floor. "Oi, where's your kitchen?" She looked a bit confused, but pointed it out and I rolled up my sleeves while walking to the kitchen.

There was no one inside, so I didn't have to clear it out to work. It wasn't a galley, but it felt good to cook again as I gathered vegetables and pulled out some pans to find a clean one. Tossing potato peels into a bucket, I cursed the knifes in the whorehouse kitchen for barely being sharp enough to use.

When I finished cooking, I served up three bowls and carried them out to the others. I placed one in front of the captain, handed another to Bonny, and then held the last one out to Jack.

"What's this?" The quartermaster rose a brow.

"Food. The fuck does it look like? This....this is what stew is supposed to look like, not this sloppy shit." I raised my middle finger to the bowl left out on the table from the night before.

"Ah, a cook that cares what their crew eats. How refreshing." Jack sighed before he started to eat. Seeing the other two scarfing it down, I returned to the kitchen to serve my own bowl. The women of the brothel had what was left, and it felt wonderful to have real food in my belly since Eleanor placed a black mark on Vane and his crew.

~

"That Guthrie cunt is done." The bald man shouted as he stormed into the brothel with seven other men. He was leading what was left of the crew, and he had a cocky smile. "Have you not heard?" He strut over to Vane, Jack, and Bonny as they sat in the back. I, after growing bored, had climbed into the tree with the snakes and had one of them wrapped around my arm while the large boa was coiled around the branch above me.

"We've heard." Jack replied as I lazily glanced over from where I sat.

"Well, then what the fuck are we doing in here?" The man waved his hands.

"At the moment, I'm remembering what it feels like to have food in my belly." The quartermaster pointed to his plate with his fork. I had made chicken and vegetables for lunch, and I had made enough for even the patrons and the women working. "Care to join us? It was made by our very own cook, Ms. Blake, and it's quite delicious."

"Jesus, Jack." The man sighed while wiping his forehead. "We're free of her. Free to hunt again. So get off your ass and find us a ship."

"To assume that we've seen the last of Eleanor Guthrie is, well, not to know her." Jack raised his brows as the captain let smoke rise from his mouth. "The fact that she appears to have Captain Hornigold and his men propping her up only adds to my conviction. Right now, we'd do well to keep our mouths shut, be thankful we have some income from this place, for the moment, and bide our time."

"Fuck that." The bald man said, and I glanced to Vane as he was making rings of smoke. "She's got no ships. She's got no business. That means she's out. And I'm going over there to make sure she knows it." Jack seemed to ignore his words as he went back to eating and looking over the papers in his hands. "Capt'n?" And all eyes went to Vane.

"I'll be upstairs." He said lowly before getting up and heading up the stairs.

"Well, then, fuck you both. Who's with me?" He rose his voice, and the seven other men followed him out.

"Nothing can ever be simple."

"I can make it simple." Bonny popped off after taking a drink.

"Darling, this is a lovely stopgap, but if we are to ever hunt as a proper crew again, we will need, well, a crew." Jack replied. "Right now, those men are all we have. It's unfortunate, perhaps, but no less a reality. Why don't we take advantage of Mr. Hamund's momentary distraction and have Mrs. Mapleton tend to the whore on the beach?" Bonny gave him a look that he returned, and she got up to get the old woman of the brothel.

"How long do you think the weather will be this fare?" I questioned while looking at the snake on my arm. It was still, the only movement came from its tongue flicking in and out of its mouth.

"Sky seems fairly clear, so I would presume a while. Why? What's with the sudden interest in the weather?" Jack briefly glanced to me before staring at the snake I was holding.

"I think I might go for a swim." Sitting up on the crook of the tree, I gently unraveled the serpent from my arm and let it slither onto a branch.

"A swim?"

"I like to fucking swim, okay? Cooking isn't the only thing I'm allowed to do."

"Alright, alright." The quartermaster raised his hand. "Just be back before dark or you might get mistaken for a large fish and be harpooned."

"Aye." I hopped off of the tree and strolled out of the brothel and into the street with my hands in my pockets. Walking through the massed crowd, I ignored the shouting of the man ranting about the Guthries. Instead of heading to the beach though, I made my way to the wrecks.

Looking around, I checked the area out and climbed to where Jack had fallen from when he lost the pearls. There was no living soul nor boat to be seen, and the water was calm below. With my hands on my hips, I chewed on the inside of my cheek while thinking and looking to the horizon.

5,000 pesos worth of black pearls laid in the sand below the water, and because of the location and how deep they probably were, no one thought to fish them out. Sighing, I climbed down the rocks to get closer to the water.

Making sure the coast was clear once more, I took my knife and sword from my belt and set them on the rocks. Kicking off my boots, I breathed in the salty air while thinking of the best way to retrieve the pearls. I was a good swimmer with strong legs, so I didn't have to worry about drowning much, just if the water became rough enough to smack me into the rocks.

Pulling my shirt over my head, I pulled the bandages from my pocket and wrapped my chest to cover my breasts. Unbuttoning my trousers, I wiggled out of them and stood in my underwear before plucking up my knife. Biting into the leather sheath, I dove into the water.

It was cool, but not too cold, and I came up to swim over to where Jack had fallen. Taking a deep breath when I reached it, I slid my head underwater and swam to the sand below. Carefully sifting through the sand and pebbles, I searched for the missing black pearls.

Growing up in a port town and wanting to have a live on the open ocean, I taught myself to swim in case the boat I was on ever sunk. After joining the Petrel, I kept up the swimming by just jumping off of the side of the ship every now and then the crew would drop a rope for me to climb back up whenever I was done.

Finding one of the pearls, I stuffed it into the bandages around my chest since I lacked pockets and went to the surface for air. When my lungs were full, I dove back down to keep looking. After what felt like a good few hours, I decided to climb out of the water before the sky started getting dark. Bigger fish tended to come out at night, and I only had my knife with me as a precaution.

Spitting my blade from my mouth and onto the rocks as I drug myself onto dry land, I felt the warm stone beneath my palms. My soaked hair was in my face, so I swept it back as I sat near my things. There were quite a few pearls in my cleavage, but I felt as if it wasn't all 5,000 pesos worth....

"I wouldn't think this is where one would go for a swim." I jolted when I heard the masculine voice and quickly looked around. Vane stood there, that unreadable look on his face, and is arms were crossed.

"And why is it that you even looked here for me, then?" I replied.

"Jack told me where you were headed, but when I got to the beach, no one had seen you, so I thought to myself, where else could that cook possibly have gone?" He stepped forward, looking out to the sea as he continued. "I doubted you would give a lie that you knew no one would be able to back, so I figured you really were going to go for a swim, just not at the beach. And as you have made quite clear, you're smart and I just had to think for a bit before I thought of the wrecks."

"Ah, a captain with both strength and mind." I smirked while standing, and I wasn't embarrassed by my lack of much clothing at all. "I didn't get them all, but I managed to fetch these." Reaching into the bandages, I fished out the black pearls from between my breasts. Vane rose a brow as I held a fist out to him, but he opened his palm for me to drop the pearls into his hand. I saw his blue eyes widen a fraction once he saw them.

"Why would you even do this?" He questioned.

"I don't go back on deals, so you're my captain now. My loyalties are to you, and I thought maybe fetching these was a good way to show you've got a bit of my trust."

"A bit?"

"Well, you _are_ Charles Vane. You've already expressed you are the man I should be wary of, so I will be. However, for us to be an honest crew when we get back to the sea, we will have to have some sort of trust between us." I turned on my heel while pointing to the open waters. "Out there is not a good place for suspicion's to rise, and I'd hate to be stuck with a captain and crew I'd rather gut than cook for."

"I see." He chuckled, but when I turned back to look at him, his brows were furrowed as he grabbed my shoulder to make me face the water again.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I tensed while Vane pushed my hair off of my back.

"I don't fucking believe it." He mumbled as his fingers brushed over the tattoo over my shoulder blades.

"What the bloody Hell is wrong with you? Is there somethin' on my back?" I asked while trying to look, failing to do so as Vane held me in place by my shoulder.

"They say there's a ship with the name of a bird that is both blessed and cursed." The man behind me began, and I simply listened out of curiosity for what he was going to say. "Within its depths dwells what is the cause of this, and it lives within the ship in exchange for keeping it afloat. No heavy storm nor pirate crew is able to bring this ship down as it is protected, but the creature living within the boat curses any man that dare cross it, even if it is the ship's own crew."

"....What's with the story time?" I crossed my arms, and Vane tapped my spine.

"The creature takes the form of a woman with hair like fire and wings as dark as night that are only visible when she is in the water." The man then chuckled. "It seems that I have found the 'creature' from these sailors' tale. You, dear Deana, are the Black Angel."

"What?" My brows furrowed.

"Apparently the previous crew members of the Petrel have spread a tall tale of you."

"Wouldn't be the first time." I scoffed. "They thought me a devil or witch, now this?"

"Well, this is actually quite fortunate to know." Vane let go of my shoulder, but I saw that he was still eyeing the tattoos of wings that went over my shoulders and the longest feathers ended around my elbows. "Do you really bless the boat you reside in?"

"Of course not." I huffed while grabbing my hair and wringing it out as water dripped onto the rocks beneath my feet. "I'm human like the rest of you lot, I'm just really good at throwing blades and not taking shit from pricks like that bald one pissed with Eleanor."

"Hamund?"

"Whatever the fuck his name is." I shrugged, keeping my back to the captain as I began to undo the bandages over my chest. "So, how is it fortunate that I happen to be the ' _Black Angel_ ' there are stories about?" Asking, I was actually kind of impressed that such a tale existed, but I was upset that my name wasn't included. Maybe the men that spread such a story felt a name would make the 'creature' feel too human? Or, perhaps, the bastards just forgot it after leaving the Petrel.

"Any man that has such a 'beast' on his ship can strike fear into other crews. Not that I honestly need it, but-"

"I get what you're saying." I cut him off while picking up my shirt and dropping the soaked bandages onto the rocks to dry. Pulling my head through my shirt, I pulled my hair out and dropped it over my shoulders. "The ' _Great Captain Charles Vane_ ' with the ' _Black Angel_ ' could cause quite a stir. Though, if I had known about it before, I sure as Hell would have used that name to my advantage."

Now that my ass was covered by my baggy shirt, I dropped my underwear around my ankles and grabbed my trousers to pull them on. Sliding one leg in, I remained balanced on the rocks as I heard the gentle waves lapping at the island below.

"You do realize you're changing right in front of your captain, don't you?" Getting my other leg in, I looked back at Vane as he had his arms crossed over his chest.

"You do realize I was supposed to be alone and soaking wet and that I would rather not get sick, don't you?" I replied. "If you wish to hide your blushing eyes, turn away, but I highly doubt you've never seen a woman change. Not to mention you didn't even see anything, I kept covered." Putting on my belt, I tucked the ends of my shirt into my pants "Hell, you own a brothel now, and those women walk around half naked most of the time. I'd only be worried if you intended on raping me, but you don't seem the type."

"I'm a pirate." Vane rose a brow as I put on my boots.

"And a bloody damn good one. You've got power, and don't take it offensively, but you've got a nice face. Not to mention you're physically not shaped like a cannonball, so you could just bed any woman with how attractive you are rather than forcing her." Picking up my knife and sword, I didn't even look at the captain as I put the weapons on my belt. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but other than with Eleanor, you've never had trouble finding a bed partner, have you?"

"....You're not wrong."

"That's because you're handsome and have all of your teeth. So, seeing as you haven't had to force a woman, I doubt you would now, especially with a whorehouse you own full of women to please you instead." When I looked to Vane, he was smirking. "What?"

"Are you accustomed to changing in front of men to have such a mindset?"

"Fuck no. If I openly changed on the Petrel like that, those horny bastards would be full of knives. Not to mention your own crew would be in danger from pissing me off when they tried anything." I answered. "As I said, it's fine with you because you have no need to feel compelled to attack me and I kept everything covered one way or another. If me changing really bothered you that much, then you could just go get a whore or whatnot." Putting my hands onto my hips, I then raised both of my eyebrows. "So has me retrieving some of your fortune put me in your good graces?"

"A bit." He chuckled before turning on his heel. "You are very strange, Black Angel. Very strange."

"Why? Because I'm not afraid to speak my fucking mind or because I lack the qualities of a lady?"

"If you're done diving, let's head back now."

"Way to avoid a question." I popped off while snatching up my wet undergarment and the bandages. Bundling them up, I wrung them out before following Vane back to town.


	9. Brothel

"What the bloody Hell are you staring at?" I glared at Jack as I sat in the snake tree again. After fetching me from the wrecks, Vane had taken off on a skiff with only his quartermaster knowing and didn't mention where the fuck he was going or when he'd be back.

"I'm sorry, but to think that _you_ of all people are the Black Angel.... It's quite astounding, really, but it makes sense." The man replied as his chin was resting in his palm.

"You're still on that?"

"Of course I am. There's been word of you for years, and to find out you were just a cook on a ship that we raided and sank is just....astounding."

"You really like that fucking word, don't you?"

"I can't really think of a better word at the moment. But to see the origin of such a tale, and to see where truth and fiction converges, it's not something a man encounters every day, you know."

"Stop gawking, I'm not something on display."

"You say that while lounging in a tree for the snakes in a brothel."

"I haven't been stuck on land this long since I was 13, so excuse me for finding it relaxing to be off of the fucking ground."

"Is that how you were on the Petrel as well? Preferring high places like a bird?"

"No." I glared. "I remained in my den of a galley, or in the ocean to swim. And stop comparing me to a bird before I mention how you look like a scraggly alley cat."

"....You just did." Jack's face fell flat.

"Oh, my apologies. Guess it's too late now."

"If it wasn't for your bleeding sarcasm, you would be much more pleasant company."

"If I can't physically stab you for speaking to me, then I will do so with my words. Not to mention it keeps my brain tuned."

"Brain tuned?" He scoffed. "Why don't you read a book instead? Oh, sorry, my mistake, you can't read, can you?"

"I _can_ read." I snarled. "But books are rather boring and full of nonsense."

"Nonsense?! Dear God, woman, what world are you living in?"

"The one where books are full of political views and history on wars. Neither of those things holds my interest, so books hold no value to me."

~

"Books are incredible." I stated. "Give me more." Jack rose his brows at me as I slammed the book he had lent me onto the table. A few nights ago, the last eight men left of Vane's crew had skipped off to Port Royal, but only a few honestly knew that they were actually led to the wrecks and killed. Not that I cared, I was busy reading the book the quartermaster had given me to read.

It was fiction from cover to cover, a tale on Satan, Adam and Eve, and their little haven of Eden. I wasn't really sure to read it at first, but to finally have a book not on historical leaders or wars past was refreshing.

"So you enjoyed ' _Paradise Lost_ '?" Jack picked up the book from the table. "How about I give you some culture. Here are a few compiled works of Shakespeare." He smirked while placing another book in front of me.

"Who the fuck is that?" I furrowed my brows.

"A wonderful playwright and poet." The quartermaster pushed the book closer to me. "Now, read it."

"If it's piss, I'm putting sand in your dinner." Picking up the book, I took it to give it a go. And, as days were passing with Vane still gone, I passed the time cooking and reading. It was often expressed how queer it was to see a woman with a book that was a cook for pirates no less, but I didn't care. I had the ability to read, so I might as well utilize it if there were works such as these that held my interest and staved off my boredom.

Jack and Bonny ran the brothel, and I cooked only at meal times while a whore prepared food for the patrons in between then. Also, after the last eight of Vane's crew were killed, Max, the whore from the beach, returned to the brothel.

"I'm sorry, but the income you've reported for the past two days is simply too low to be believed." Jack was talking to one of the whores while I was in the snake tree reading about some wild adventure that would be utterly impossible in reality. The boa was lazing over my stomach and legs, and I didn't mind since it wasn't biting me or anything. "I'm going to have to ask you to vacate your room, make way for someone else."

Hardly glancing over to the working quartermaster, I scoffed. ' _Those tears are as real as a crocodile's.'_ I thought, but said nothing as I found it amusing how weak Jack honestly was to women crying.

"Oh, yes, yes. Here it comes." The woman sitting by him began to sob, and his face turned to a weird expression. "Ugh. I'll have you know I have slit men's throats while they have wept, begging my forbearance, and slept soundly that very night. If you were hoping to manipulate me, you are barking up the wrong tree." The woman sobbed more. "The wrong tree." Jack stated. "Jesus Christ."

"Mr. Rackham."

"What?"

"Five pieces." The whore dropped the money onto the table. "Oh, look who's up and about." She popped off as I turned the page in the book and Max walked over.

"Who did you just service?" Max put a hand onto her hip.

"What's that?"

"Who paid you those coins?" She clarified. "It was Captain Hallindale I saw leaving your room, was it not? A man whose sole desire is to be swaddled in canvas while he sucks on a fat, milkless breast like a nursing child. And the price we have always charged for mothering is 20 pieces, not 5."

"Who the fuck do you think you're accusing? A handjob pays five. All Captain Hallindale had time for today was a tug." My head jerked up when I heard a loud smack, and Max had apparently slapped the other whore across the face.

"Will your story hold when I ask him to confirm it? Or will you confess your crime now and pray that our new patron is more forgiving than Mr. Noonan would have been?" Max tilted her head, and the whore turned to Jack.

"I swear on the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ this will never happen again."

"For your sake, it had better not." The quartermaster replied, and I went back to my book.


	10. Return

Looking out to the sky as it rained, I heard the music playing in the brothel downstairs. There was still no word from Vane, and Bonny believed that he was never coming back. Jack remained hopeful, and I had to side with the quartermaster. I felt oddly concerned for the well-being of the captain, and I wouldn't be lying if I said at some points feared something may have happened to him.

No stories or rumors of his death had yet to reach Nassau, so the man either had vanished like a phantom at sea, or died without anyone knowing. Sighing, I rested my chin in my palm and looked to the puddle filled street. Things were going better in the brothel now that the whores weren't nicking coins from their work, and Max seemed to be taking up a partnership with Jack.

But still....I wanted to be back on the open ocean rather than here and surrounded by drunks and prostitutes.

"Where the fuck are you, Charles Vane?" I mumbled as the dark skies above rumbled.

~

Someone had taken over the fort. One ship had already been sunk by her cannons, and Nassau was buzzing about who could possibly be in there. All crews were accounted for while Captain Flint's was off to get some prize still, so no one had yet to figure out what lunatic had seized the fort and sunk a ship in the bay.

There was no word from within the fort that day, but people were rushing indoors as the sun was setting in the sky. Out of curiosity, I went out onto the whorehouse balcony to look and could hardly believe my eyes at who I saw marching up the street with several men.

"Miss Guthrie." Vane called out to the woman outside her bar. "I think it's time we talked." I was tempted to shout ' _Where the fuck you been?_ ' but I refrained from doing so since I was still in shock from seeing the captain with what seemed to be a brand new crew. Watching him strut into Eleanor's bar, he walked with his head held high like before.

It wasn't long before he was visiting the whorehouse, but Jack was tense as the intimidating man stepped inside with the other large males behind him.

"Captain. Welcome back. I hear congratulations are in order." Jack nervously smiled. "Steward of the fort. Stroke of pure genius."

"In some ways, Jack, it had to come to this. Don't you think?" Vane said lowly.

"Come to what?"

"Me deciding if you live or die." The blue eyed man set his pistol down on the table in front of him.

"Captain, I don't know what you have heard-"

"Hamund pulls you out of bed...." Vane cut him off, and I now knew why Jack was so nervous and Vane was so cold to him. "marches you down to the wrecks to look for a stash of stolen pearls. And somehow, only you and your dog make it back alive." The quartermaster looked like he was trying to find something to say, but nothing was coming from his mouth.

"Quite a moment." Vane sat down. "Jack Rackham with nothing to say. Had I a shrewd quartermaster right now, he would tell me that I can't let what you did stand. He would say an offense like that demanded an example be made of both of you. The bloodier the be'er." Jack had to take a seat. "But today, I'm a little less worried about perception than I used to be." Vane shrugged. "As long as I hold that fort, doesn't really ma'er." He shrugged before leaning on the table. "So the street will know what you did. They will know you betrayed your brothers for a woman. That story will spread far and wide....and you'll never sail beneath the black again. You'll sit in this place and rot with the rest of the whores. Something tells me that'll sting worse than dying."

Vane stood up as Bonny and Jack looked at him.

"Loyalty, Jack. It's supposed to mean something. It does to me, anyway." He picked up his pistol from the table while raising his brows. "Now, where the Hell is my cook? I have hungry men to feed." Jack couldn't really look at Vane as guilt filled his eyes, but he pointed to the tree I was lazing in. Getting that as my cue that I was leaving with the captain, I slid out from under the boa while hopping to the ground as he and his crew watched me. "Oh. Love what you've done with the place." Vane commented to Jack while waving his gun as I glanced to the hard faces of the men standing in front of me.

"Well....at least you're not dead." I popped off to the captain as we were walking down the street. "But what the fuck happened to your face?"

"Nothing that I haven't already taken care of." He replied, and I couldn't help but glance back at the brothel where Bonny and Jack were. ....Would they be okay? I mean, they had the funds from the whorehouse, but....they now had a black mark placed upon them by Vane.

"So, how many men am I cooking for exactly?" I questioned.

"Quite a few." Vane smirked while looking at me, and I crossed my arms.

"Oh, very specific, Captain. Do you have enough food for them at least?"

"Plenty."

"I'll be the judge of that." Glancing to the other men behind Vane, they each were as big or bigger than Vane himself. "They each look capable of eating a horse."

"Then you must have your work cut out for you then, hm?"

"Cooking for a crew rather than a brothel will come as a sort of relief, honestly. I mean no offense to those women, but it's quite cramped there and each one thinks I cater specifically to them. One wants stew, the other wants chicken and potatoes, and if I made something they weren't in the 'mood' for, they'd complain." Sighing while the captain chuckled, I raised my brows. "They still ate, nonetheless, but the nagging was like being in a henhouse full of clucking."

When we entered the fort, there were even more men inside, built just like the others and just as large, and Vane placed a hand on my shoulder as we stood before them all.

"Men, I'd like you to welcome your new cook. This is Deana Blake....the Black Angel." Vane announced, and there was shift among them. I wasn't sure if it was due to me being a woman, or due to the name, but either way I was still their cook whether they liked it or not.

~

He was sitting in a wooden chair on top of the fort, overlooking the bay as he was smoking. Crossing my arms while I leaned onto the brick wall next to a cannon, I furrowed my brows at him.

"How the fuck did you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?" Smoke rose up from Vane's mouth as he looked at me.

"Vanish without word only to come back with a crew and take over the Nassau fort while somehow getting beat in between time." I replied. "How?"

"I took a skiff, gathered strong men, and took out those that were here before. That's how." The man simply answered. Rolling my eyes, I then leaned off of the wall and placed a hand onto an armrest of the chair while putting my other hand onto my hip.

"Okay, then how the fuck did you get that eye and all these cuts? That bruise looks ready to take on a life of it's own."

"I just had to defeat one of my demons from my past." Vane mumbled, glancing to the rolled tobacco in his hand as smoke left his nostrils when he sighed. I wasn't really satisfied by that answer, but I didn't push it further.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any more of your pearls while you were gone. I think they may have been carried by the current or buried beneath the sand." I stated, but my gaze wandered back to his black eye. "Honestly, though, you'll have to tell me what happened some day. It had to be one big ass fucker to do that to you." Speaking lowly, I gently touched his cheek beneath the bruise without even thinking as I looked at it.

His brows furrowed as something flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed my wrist, making me realize what I had done while I tensed.

"You were there." He stated.

"What?"

"You were there. In the tent." Vane narrowed his eyes while looking into mine. "You were the one that was cleaning me up, weren't you?"

"What?" I cleared my throat.

"That's how you got to the alley so fast. You were with me before I ran from my tent." Why did I feel cornered? Why did I feel as if I should deny it and say it was someone else? I knew it was me, so why didn't I just say so? "I remember the feeling of your hand on my cheek." Oh....that's why I wanted to deny it. Fuck, kind of forgot about that.

"Well, yeah that was me." I tried to remain calm, but I was noticing how blue his eyes were again with how close I was to him. "You were drunk and high off your ass, I thought it was high time you stopped moping and went to get you to start sobering up. But...."

"But?" Vane rose a brow.

"You looked so....crushed. So utterly defeated by that woman that I couldn't bring myself to just leave you there." Replying, my voice was low as he still had a hold on my wrist. "It felt wrong to see such a man reduced to that, but it seems you needed no one's help to bring yourself to your feet again."

"....Thank you." And my brows knit together after those words left his mouth.

"For what?"

"For trying." Vane said softly before he tugged on my wrist and pulled me closer to him as his lips crashed onto mine. My eyes went wide from shock, tasting the tobacco on his tongue as it slid into my mouth. I wanted to pull away and retaliate, but I was surprised even more when I realized that I actually liked him kissing me. He smelt of wood, smoke, and sweat, and the way his lips moved against mine felt rather nice.

Kissing back, I liked the feeling of his lips on mine as his tongue caressed my own, and I liked the feeling of how a fire seemed to light at the ends of my nerves from his touch. My breath was heavier than before when he decided to pull back, and I blinked as I saw that smirk of his on his mouth.

"Have I been blessed by the Black Angel?" He questioned with a teasing tone.

"Cursed." I stated, licking my lips as I looked into those eyes as blue as a clear ocean sky.

"Is that so?" Vane chuckled while putting the rolled tobacco between his teeth.

"Yes."


	11. Ned Low, Charles Vane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

It was hot as Hell outside, and I was done working over a fire to make the men's lunch. I had cooked up a few pigs, and we had bread from town to go with it. Those that had already finished eating were working, and I was crouched in the shade with my sleeves rolled up to my shoulders.

A few of the men had glanced at the ink feathers on my arms, but said nothing and looked away when I shot them a glare. Licking the sweat from my top lip, I debated on going for a swim to cool down or something, but I didn't know of any water that was in a shaded place at least.

Sighing, I wiped my forehead with my arm, and I quickly looked up when I saw a flash of bright, blonde hair _. 'Eleanor?'_ I thought, seeing the woman strutting into the fort. _'The fuck is she doing here?'_

"Deana!" The man walking with the blonde woman called. "Why don't you take Miss Guthrie to see the captain?"

"Why the fuck do I have to?"

"Because I have work to get back to, and you've already finished your job until dinner." He stated while hooking one of his thumbs behind his belt. "Unless you want to haul my load instead, be my guest."

"Fuck that." I rose to my feet while wiping my mouth with my fist. "This way." Gesturing with my head, I turned on my heel with Eleanor following behind me as I went inside. It was cooler than in the sun, and I sighed through my nose with relief.

"So your captain decided to keep you, I see." The woman said lowly as was only a step behind me.

"Why wouldn't he?" Scooping up my hair, I lifted it off of my neck to let the cool air hit it.

"Well, I assumed you'd be in the same boat as Jack and Anne." She replied.

"You mean because of that thing with Hamund?" I paused in my walking while looking at her. "I had no part in that. I would have liked to with how much that bald bastard annoyed me, but Jack got me into reading and I was busy doing that instead."

"Reading?" She rose a brow at me. "You were reading while your crew was slaughtered at the wrecks?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I nodded, turning back to continue walking. "Kind of thankful for it, too. Captain wouldn't have fetched me from that brothel if I had a part in all that and I'd still be cooking for those nagging whores. Literally."

"....So it's true then?" Her voice had a strange tone in it.

"What?" I asked as we passed a torch on the wall.

"You're the Black Angel. I was a bit suspicious when I heard your boat was called the Petrel and I saw your red hair, but I wasn't sure. You can hardly tell with how sailors spin their stories."

"Oh, that." I glanced over my shoulder to see her eyeing my tattoos. "Yeah. Tales of me seem to spread without my knowledge, but I guess that's what happens when you spend all your time in a galley rather than on land." Dropping my hair as I turned the corner, we reached the captain's room. "This is it."

Knocking, I waited for a reply before opening the door and walking in with Eleanor behind me.

"You've got a gue- Oh, for fuck's sake!" I stared at the ceiling quickly after seeing Vane naked in bed with only a sheet covering his crotch. He was sweaty and lazing there like he was trying to escape the heat from outside as well.

"Where the fuck were you today?" The blonde woman asked, not bothered by the captain's nudity at all. Then again, I guess she was used to seeing him naked by now after the history they shared.

"Here." Vane replied while shrugging, and I tried to not look at him, but good God was that difficult. As I had told him before, he was a very handsome man, and how he was laying in bed, his muscles covered in sweat, was an arousing sight.

"You wanted to be a partner to the consortium, did you not?" Eleanor had an edge in her voice. "You wanted to take Hornigold's seat at the table? Then that means you assume Hornigold's responsibilities, first among them....turning up for the fucking meetings."

"It this really what you came up here for....scold me for truancy?"

"This morning somebody killed two watchmen and stole 500 pounds' worth of cargo from the warehouse."

"Sorry to hear that." Vane said, but he looked like he honestly didn't care.

"Don't be sorry. Do your fucking job."

"And what job is that exactly?"

"Hornigold provided security for the consortium's operations." Eleanor stated.

"And you'd like me to fill that role for you now?" The captain raised his eyebrows. "If your friends aren't capable of protecting themselves, then I argue they aren't worth protecting."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" The woman didn't look pleased to say in the least. "You were the one who decided you wanted to be a part of this."

"To protect the bay." Vane swung his tan legs over the side of the bed. "But to play the role of constable for the benefit of Captains Naft and Lawrence?" He tossed off the sheet while grabbing his pants and pulling them onto his legs. I honestly tried not to look when he stood to pull them on all of the way, but that back and ass was divine even with the scars. "Your problem isn't with me. Your problem....you need stronger partners." Vane turned to look at Eleanor as he buttoned his trousers.

"I had stronger partners, you shit."

"What are you doing down there, Eleanor? Corporate charters? Mandatory meetings? The woman who stole ship and crew out from underneath me has no appetite for any of that." The woman rolled her eyes. "I think that's why you're so frustrated with me....because you know all this, because you know I know this, and because you know you are so much more like me than anyone you've ever met in your entire life."

"Jesus Christ, enough. Stop telling me what it is you think I think." Eleanor rose her voice. "You sound fucking ridiculous." Vane only smirked, seeing how the woman was irritated. "Do you know what it is I want? I want to figure out a way of selling everyone's shit here for more tomorrow than I did yesterday. I want to establish a future here that isn't measured in months. And I want you to show up for a meeting when you're fucking told." And she turned on her heel while going for the door.

"Can't leave yet." Vane scoffed.

"Watch me."

"You haven't asked me the question yet. You haven't asked me if I'm gonna let him in.... Flint." Eleanor turned at what the captain said. "Am I going to permit him to enter the bay with his Spanish treasure? Assuming, that is, he returns with it at all."

"Be very careful, Charles, because at a certain point....I will remove you from this place, no matter what the consequences."

"You'd do that? For him? How is it you see such a partner in him and such a villain in me?" Vane questioned.

"He wants what I want."

"Are you quite certain about that? Let's put it to a test." He raised his chin while looking at her. "Let's say I do separate Flint from his gold when he returns. And let's say you and I split it."

"What?" Eleanor scoffed.

"Mm, see? Not so easy." He stated. "Think about it.... I kill Flint, give you half a fortune, and then no more Naft, no more Lawrence, no more compromises." _'Wow....he really doesn't like that Captain.'_ I thought. "You could do whatever you like. How important is Flint to you now?" Vane tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Fuck you." The blonde went for the door again. "Fuck you, too." She hardly even glanced at me and I was taken a bit by surprise, though, I shouldn't have....

"That was uncalled for." I popped off before crossing my arms as I looked to Vane. "You had a meeting?"

"Are you my mother, now?" He rose a brow at me.

"No, but it's make sense for you not to anger the wench any further. Sure, you've got the fort, and you've got your men, but...."

"But what? You doubt me?" He picked up a bottle of rum and took a drink before setting it back down.

"No, I doubt her. Whenever an animal is forced into a corner, they strike out with more strength and furiosity than they did before. It's a way of survival." I stated.

"And you think she'll try to strike in such a way?"

"From what I've seen, there's no telling what that woman will do." I mumbled while glancing to the door.

~

Leaving the brothel after seeing Jack and Bonny, I carried a new book in my hand. The quartermaster was still getting his ass kicked, and Max had settled into her new role in the whorehouse looking over the women. Glancing down at the book in my hand, I wondered if it was going to be like the others I had read, or if I was going to end up not liking it.

I didn't have long to mull it over as a hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back. I landed in a man's lap as I drew one of my knives, and I felt him tense as my blade pressed against his throat.

"Well, hello, beautiful." He said lowly while smirking, not even looking at my knife as he instead looked at me. "It seems I've startled you."

"Get your fucking hands off of me." My voice was close to a growl as I tightened my grip on my blade. The man had dirty blond hair that was swept back from his face, and his eyes were like coal in the dim lighting from the torches. One was a paler color than the other, and the scar running from over his eyebrow down to his cheek told me that he was half blind from the old injury.

"Now, now, no need for such attitude." His gaze wandered to the book in my other hand and he raised a brow. "You're literate? How interesting."

"I'm not going to tell you again." Snarling, I pressed the knife harder against his throat, but still not enough to draw blood.

"My name is Ned Low, and I'd like to apologize. I thought you were one of the brothel whores, but seeing the book and knife, I was very much mistaken. What's your name, love?"

"....Deana Blake." I glared.

"Deana Blake." He purred, not bothered by the weapon just below his chin at all. "Where to were you headed, Deana Blake?"

"I don't think that is any of your damned business, so unless you want your fucking throat slit, let me go."

"You have fierce eyes, but you've never actually killed a man, have you?" The man leaned into the knife, having no ounce of fear in his eyes as he gave a small smile. "Oh, you've seen death, sure. But never was it at your own hands, am I right?" His eyes glittered as his other hand rested on my thigh. "You're hands are so steady, so I can assume you've at least drawn blood before."

"Does it matter?"

"It does." He chuckled lowly. "If you've gone this long without killing a man, I doubt you will now. No, you'd probably have no other choice before you do. You're so tense. You'd be the type to cut your enemy down, but let them live to see another day. Honestly, I think that's crueler than death. Letting a man live with his scars, knowing that he was beaten by a woman and forcing him to live with that shame. He'd be reminded of it everyday. Every time he looks at himself in the mirror, he'd remember that....Deana Blake defeated him, and had no mercy to kill him afterwards."

"You're not wrong, but that doesn't make you any fucking different. How'd you like to be added to the list of those I've broken?" Blood began to well at the edge of my blade from how hard it pressed against his neck.

"Broken.... What a choice word. Tell me, Deana Blake, how is it that a woman such as yourself is in a place such as this? You must have come from some background if you are able to read, yet you're here....walking out of a brothel only to put a knife to a man's throat."

"How about this- I forget about this whole ordeal if you get your hands off of me right now."

"Oh, but I don't want you to forget." He licked his lips. "Remember my name. Remember my face. It will haunt you, infect your mind and body as you recall how I spoke to you and looked to you without an ounce of fear. You see, I lack such a thing, along with remorse and mercy." The man's hand on my thigh squeezed. "And I do believe that very soon, after you've recalled our encounter a hundred times within your head, you'll be driven to me, calling my name from the top of your lungs as I have you pinned beneath me."

"I very much doubt it." I snarled as a drop of his blood traveled down the length of my blade. "We're done here."

"I'm like a sickness, love." The man said as he took his hands off of me. "I've already infected your head- it's only a matter of time before it spreads. Women like you are hard to come across, so I don't mind if it's my power or my fearlessness that you are seduced by. Just don't make me wait long to taste that skin that smells of the sea." Getting up from his lap now that he didn't have a hold on me, I felt disgusted as he winked. Quickly walking away, I wiped the blood off of my knife

There were all kinds of creeps in the world, but ones like that Ned Low had to be the worst....

As soon as I returned to the fort, I was quick to get a bath. I wanted to try and scrub every trace of that man off of me along with the vulgarity I felt with how he spoke to me and said my name. I shouldn't have told him my name, it sounded like a curse as it fell from his lips so easily.

My skin was pink from how hard I scrubbed, and I nearly threw a knife at the door when it suddenly opened.

"Deana, it-"

"Charles!" I rose my voice while covering myself in the water of the bath. "Get the fuck out!"

"So you'll change in front of me on the beach, but seeing you in the bath is what brings out your modesty?" Vane rose a brow, but he wasn't really looking at my face. He was looking at my inked shoulders and my knees as I was curled up and barely managing to cover everything else.

"You couldn't see anything then, and I'm naked right now, so get the Hell out!"

"Actually, I saw your ass when you bent over to put your trousers on. I just didn't mention it." The captain closed the door behind himself, and picked up my towel while holding it out to me. "I think this is the first time I've seen you so bashful." He put a hand onto his hip as I snatched my towel from him. "Well, other than when you saw me naked." Vane smirked.

"What did you want?" I asked, glaring at him until he rolled his eyes and turned around.

"I can't quite recall, but now that I'm trying to think of it, it comes to mind that your weapon choice could do with a little change."

"The fuck are you talking about?" My brows furrowed as I stood out of the water and wrapped the towel around myself.

"Rather than fighting with your sword, your knife if the first thing you go for. And more often then not, you throw it at your target. I still have proof." Vane said, mentioning the braid that was still shorter than the others from the first time we met. "So why don't you get more knives? Smaller ones, easier to throw, and more effective than a pistol with your accuracy."

"....That's actually a good idea." I mumbled while climbing out of the tub. "Do they have something like that here?"

"I can talk to a blacksmith." The captain told me as I went to my clothes. "Have them made for you if they can't be found in town."

"Look at that. The feared Captain Charles Vane being nice." I smirked, but it wasn't the first time. In all honesty, the man was kind as long as he wasn't angry.

"Deana...." And my shoulders tensed as I felt his breath on my bare shoulder. "Even if you bathe, you still smell of the sea." He brushed my wet hair off of my neck and over my shoulders. "Like a creature born of the water, now stuck on land."

"We all know I am as human as anyone else." I tightened my grip on the towel, feeling his breath on my skin as his fingers brushed over my spine and black wings.

"Are you? People are tempted by the flesh, yet you've let me do nothing more than kiss you." Vane's voice was low and close to my ear. "I still haven't even seen you bare, Deana."

The difference between how he said my name compared to that man in the street was staggering, as was the difference in how Vane's touch caused a fire to burn in my gut while the other man had made me feel nothing but disgust. Swallowing, I found myself rather liking the attention I was receiving from the captain.

"Some people manage to fight that temptation." I said lowly.

"Yes, but why would you?" Vane kissed just beneath my jaw. "You're no puritan nor clergyman." I didn't say anything as I clenched my jaw, feeling Vane's scruff as he placed kisses down the side of my neck. His hands traveled down my back before he grabbed my hips, and his breath on my shoulder caused me to shiver.

"....Deana?" He suddenly paused.

"What?" I cleared my throat.

"You've never actually been with a man, have you?" Vane asked. "And don't be smart with your reply, I mean you're a virgin, aren't you?"

"....Yes." I mumbled. "In this world, you don't have many choices in life if you're born a woman. You can find a man and marry him, hoping he can take care of you, or you can sell yourself and make a living as a whore. I chose, like few others, to sail instead. If I slept with any man without the intention of marrying him, I would have been seen as a harlot and the others would be waiting their turn. I wasn't going to do that to myself, so I just kept away from it and threatened any man that came too close to me." I told him. "Fuck, if you were anyone else, I'd have a knife to your throat for touching me."

"You don't have to worry about that. You have nothing to fear with me, Deana, I promise you." Vane spoke with sincerity in his voice.

"But to be so vulnerable...." My own voice was hardly louder than a whisper. "So weak and at the mercy of the other person....how does anyone manage to do it?"

"There is a difference between just fucking and making love." He explained as one of his hands left my hips and gently ran up my arm. "People remain guarded, keeping their walls up when they fuck. The vulnerability only comes into play when you honestly feel for the other. And when you make love, both are weak to the other as they lay their souls and hearts bare for one another." Vane's voice was soft, and his large hand wrapped around on of mine, intertwining our fingers as he gently placed a kiss on the side of my neck again.

"To think a pirate captain would say such a thing...."

"Deana, you've seen me at one of my weakest moments. You've also seen what I am capable of, so I don't really worry if you're view of me changes simply because I am not a villain all of the time." At at the mention of it, I lightly squeezed his hand as I remember how he cried.

"What if I hurt you?" I asked. "What if I by chance destroy you, break you down as Eleanor did? What if I am the one you should worry about and not the other way around?"

"I don't believe you ever would. If you're scared of it happening, then how could you possibly do something like that to me? If it's something you don't want to do, just don't do it instead of fearing it." I looked at his hand, his tan fingers laced with mine as I was thinking. I had never been this close to anyone ever. I had never actually voiced weakness to another soul, nor willingly showed it, but with Vane....there was just this odd gentleness. A sense of safety that had nothing to do with the power he possessed.

"Would you be vulnerable?" I questioned. "Would you be weak in front of me?"

"That's an indirect way of asking if I love you, isn't it?" Vane rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. "....If I didn't, I wouldn't hold you like this. I wouldn't drown whenever you looked at me with those eyes like the clouds of a storm." So....he loved me. He said I shouldn't be afraid, but I still had aversions to putting myself in such a vulnerable state.

I had always had to fight my entire life. Fight to stay alive, fight to leave my street rat life, fight to keep myself safe, fight to keep any weakness that the men around me could feed off of hidden. But Vane....Vane was telling me that it was okay to be weak with him as he was with me, but his moment of vulnerability had been forced since he was stuck in a hallucination brought on by opium and rum.

Feeling his rough palm on my hand, I noticed how he held my hand as if it were porcelain. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the look in his eyes as the fire flickered and swayed and made shadows dance around the room. Letting my towel go, it dropped to the floor around my feet as I turned to face the captain.

"I trust you." I said softly while reaching up and touching his cheek. "Please, don't break that trust."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Deana." The blue eyed man leaned down to kiss me as one of his hands went to hold the back of my head, his other arm wrapping around my waist, lifting me off of the ground. His tongue was in my mouth as he carried me across the room before he dropped me onto my bed.

Propping myself up on my elbows, I watched as Vane pulled his shirt over his head. He tossed it to the side, his eyes gazing over my naked body as he undid his belt and kicked off his boots. His long hair draped over his shoulders as he crawled up onto the bed between my legs, and his lips were on mine once more.

Taking in a sharp breath when his warm hand closed around my breast, his kisses trailed along my jaw and down my neck. Heat seemed to be pooling between my legs as Vane nipped at my collarbone and squeezed my tits in his hands. His hair tickled my skin as he ground his pelvis into mine, and I liked the feeling of his body against my own.

Vane's face went lower, his lips brushing over my skin while he nipped at my chest as his thumbs rubbed over my nipples. A sound like a whimper came from the back of my throat, and the blue eyed man nipped again. He kissed a trail from between my breasts and down my torso before a nip was placed onto my hip. The captain's rough hands slid down my sides and grabbed the back of my thighs.

My breath was shaky as he put my legs over his shoulders, and he was kissing my inner thigh while his facial hair was scraping against my skin. Jolting, a small moan escaped my mouth when Vane ran his tongue over my crotch. Looking down at him as my face burned, he was smirking while locking eyes with me, looking like a predator as he spread me open and licked my clit. My muscles tensed as I mewled, and Vane looked very pleased with himself at getting such a noise to come from me.

His free hand grabbed my thigh while his finger rubbed against my entrance as he sucked on my clit. My back arched as I moaned, and I covered my face with both of my hands. One of his fingers slid in as his tongue flicked, making my hands ball into fists. Moaning as he mouthed my clit and pumped his digit, my back arched again when he added another finger.

Vane curled his fingers as my toes did, and I grabbed the sheets by my head as I moaned. His rough, thick fingers spread my walls as he licked, and his name spilled from my lips.

"Charles~!" I moaned, and he pumped his fingers harder. Arching off of the bed as my head lolled back, my body was being racked with pleasure while Vane's hot breath hit my crotch. "Ahh~! Fuck~!" Tugging at the sheets, one of my hands tangled in his long hair as his scruff was scraping against my thighs. My thighs clenched while my head was clouded with ecstasy, and the pirate's name continued to fall from my lips as his tongue worked over my clit.

I whimpered when he pulled out his his fingers, but bit my bottom lip when I saw him sucking them clean. Grabbing both of my thighs and holding them onto his shoulders, his tongue dove into my slick folds, lapping up what was leaking out from my arousal. My hips bucked into his face as my other hand went into his hair. Vane devoured me, plunging his tongue deep into my core as I moaned without restraint.

Screaming his name in pleasure as my body arched, his face was buried between my thighs as my legs locked around his head. I had no control over my body as I slightly tugged on Vane's hair, and my body felt like it was on fire as sweat coated my skin. Shaking as something was unraveling in my gut, it felt like I saw stars as I moaned and clung to the blue eyed man.

Panting as I tried to catch my breath, the pirate released my thighs from his grip while licking his glistening lips. Vane rose to his knees, undoing his trousers as it was taut over his crotch. Pushing his pants down, his hard, thick length sprung free and I swallowed from the look in his eyes.

The man was then on top of me, hooking my legs over his waist as he grabbed one of my hands and laced his fingers with me.

"Ready?" His voice was so low and husky that it sounded close to a growl. Groping his ass as a reply, Vane smirked before shifting his hips and slowly coming forward. I took in a sharp breath when I felt his cock's head prodding at my entrance, and I moaned as he pushed deeper inside.

My grip on his hand tightened as I grabbed his shoulder, and those blue eyes watched my face closely. Vane waited a second before he began to thrust his hips, my nails digging into his shoulder as I moaned. His cock reached deeper than his fingers or tongue, and my body was arching into him. His deep groans made me shiver as Vane thrusted harder.

"Ahh~! Ahh~! Charles~! Fuck~!" Raking my nails down his back, he grunted while watching my face twist with pleasure. My toes curled as my hips bucked, and Vane kept his steady, heavy pace. We were panting and moaning, holding on to one another as it felt like I was being completely enveloped by the man.

The scent of his sweat....the sound of his voice....the feeling of his hand holding mine as his cock was thrusting in and out of me....even the way those oceanic eyes looked at me from above made me feel as if I was drowning in him.

"Deana...." Vane rumbled. "Call my name again." He demanded as he snapped his hips into me. I obeyed, digging my nails in his back as I moaned his name.

"Charles~!"

"Again."

"Fuck~! Charles~!" And I think he just liked how my voice sounded moaning his name. "Ahh~! Charles~!" I was racked with such an intense feeling as my body clenched, and Vane seemed to thrust even harder as I was struck by another orgasm. I screamed in ecstasy, feeling light headed as I rode it out while the captain was soon following me into that pure sensation of bliss.


	12. Storm Brewing

Waking up in Vane's arms, I felt his large hand gently touching my cheek. Groggily looking up at him, his face was unreadable as the sunlight from the window lit the room. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, the captain then smirked.

"....Good morning, angel." He said lowly, and it was strange to hear someone call me angel in such a gentle way.

"Morning, leon."

"Leon?" He raised a brow, his thumb caressing my cheekbone as he looked down at me.

"You remind me of a lion." I mumbled. "Do you know Spanish?"

"I do. Pero como te sientes despues de lo de anoche?"

"Well....that was fast." My eyebrows raised on my forehead. "I think my thighs are all chafed from your beard, though." I replied while frowning. "You damn bastard." Grabbing his chin, I shook his head a little as he chuckled.

"You calling your captain a bastard?"

"Would you prefer to be called asshole? Jackass? Bitch? Something else, perhaps?"

"You may want to watch your tongue, Deana. What you say next could put me in a rather dangerous mood." Vane ran his thumb over my bottom lip while looking at my mouth.

"Mm, I think I'll settle on calling you my bi-" I stopped as he raised his brows at me, and a mischievous smirk played onto my lips. "Bitter, old man that has no sense of humor."

"Bitter, old man?"

"We both know that's not what I was going to say, but I had to save my ass somehow, didn't I?"

"And you think you've saved yourself?"

"Is there a way to bribe you out of a punishment? It's too early, and I don't have any fucks to give to not fight back while being reprimanded." I stated, and Vane chuckled before simply kissing me.

~

Vane had decided to show up to the meeting Eleanor was hosting, and I wandered around town while looking for small knives that were easier to throw. I didn't find anything of the sort, but it at least wasted time before I returned to the blonde woman's tavern. Oddly, though, there was a crowd inside and I stepped to where I could see what was going on.

"I don't want to see you in my place again. I don't want to see you on my island again. Take your men, take your shit, and seek life elsewhere." Eleanor seethed as she stepped towards a man with a familiar face. There was a dark look in his gaze, and I recognized him as Ned Low.... Looking down, I saw a headless corpse on the ground and so, so much blood.

One of Eleanor's men had his sword drawn and placed it against Low's neck beneath his chin. One of his crew went to draw his own blade, but was stopped by Low raising his hand.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd remove that from my face, friend."

"Did you not hear the lady, _friend_?"

"All right." Low's voice was utterly calm before he turned away, but I knew that couldn't be it if he so easily overlooked the knife I held to his throat the other night. And as I had thought, Low swung back around with his cutlass clashing with the guard's. The crowd backed up as they crossed swords, and Low kicked Eleanor's man into a table.

He rolled away to avoid the pirate's blade before getting to his feet to fight again. They seemed an even match as their blades clanged loudly together and they crashed into more tables. However, when the guard lunged at Low, Low stepped to the side and slashed the guard's stomach open.

The pirate panted as the guard fell to his knees, and he looked to Eleanor while pointing at the guard with his sword.

"Don't!" She pleaded as Low placed his sword against the back of the other man's neck. He remained looking at her as he impaled the guard's throat in front of everyone in the tavern. He pushed the dead man down, the body thumping on the wooden floor. Panic was clear in the blonde woman's eyes as she searched the crowd for a source of help, and her gaze landed briefly on Vane before Low spoke.

"I'm sorry we've had such a rough go at it, you and I....but I'm afraid I'm simply enjoying myself way too much to consider leaving this place." The man smirked. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon." And he turned on his heel to leave, but spotted me in the doorway. I tensed, my hand automatically grabbed the hilt of my knife as he grinned at me. "Oh, hello, sweet Deana Blake." He stepped closer while wiping his bloody nose with his sleeve.

"Come to enjoy the show?" Low asked, but I said nothing. "You know....whenever it stings I think of you. Was that its intended purpose?" He chuckled while lifting his chin, showing the healing cut on his neck from my blade.

"Of course not." My voice was full of sharp edges.

"Well, nonetheless, I will return the favor soon." Low drug his finger across my throat while looking down at me. "Dream of me, lovely Deana Blake." He said lowly while smirking before he walked off with his crew.

Snarling, I wiped my neck, trying to get rid of the blood he had smeared there from his red soaked hands. Again, it felt vile whenever he said my name, as if I was being violated by his voice alone.

"What the fuck was that?" Vane growled as he grabbed my arm. "You know him?"

"The man's a bloody lunatic." I stated. "I don't know him, and he has this fucking idea that I'll inevitably end up in his bed." Wiping my neck some more, I glanced up to the captain and saw a fire of aggression burning in his eyes.

"Why did you cut him?"

"What?"

"Why did you cut him?" He asked through gritted teeth and his hold on my arm was rather tight. ....He was pissed.

"He thought me to be one of the brothel's whores and I had to show him otherwise."

"You stay away from him, do you understand me?" Vane's voice was like a growl as his eyes were like ice.

"You really think you have to tell me?" I popped off. "That man is nothing but a monster." The captain looked at me with a serious expression on his face before glancing around.

"Let's go." He said, pulling me out into the street as he walked with his shoulders tense.


	13. Far and Wide Pt. 1

Captain Vane was sword fighting with one of his men as the rest of us watched. The two seemed to be having a bit of fun as they grinned, and I leaned on a brick wall with my arms crossed over my chest. Vane, like usual, was kicking the other man's ass without beating him down all at once. It felt like he was actually going easy on the crew member, especially since he could down 3 men while in a rum and opium haze within seconds.

Vane punched the other man and he fell into where the chickens were kept. They clucked and fluttered at the sudden invader, and he pulled back while grabbing someone's scarf that sat out. He threw it in Vane's face and swung his sword. The captain was quick, and leaned out of the way, then ducked under the next swing.

Holding the scarf, Vane wrapped the ends of it around his fists after dropping his cutlass. The dust that had been kicked up was settling before the other man went at the captain again. Vane stepped out of the way of the sword, but then brought out his arm and struck his crew member in the throat, sending him to the ground as the others chuckled.

"Almost took my fucking head off." Vane turned to the man on the ground as his men laughed. The captain smiled, but his face fell as he looked to the entrance of the fort. Glancing to where he was looking, my lip twitched up into a snarl as Ned Low was walking towards Vane.

The captain looked displeased, but kept his face firm as Low sat at a table and Vane washed his hands and face from a bucket of water. I couldn't hear what Low was saying from where I was, and only watched as Vane took a seat across from the other man and said something back. As a precaution, I pulled one of my knives and kept it in my hand.

So as not to seem on edge if one of the other men saw me, I nonchalantly fiddled with the blade while keeping an eye on the captain and Low as they spoke. I didn't like anything about Ned Low, he was like an eel or a snake and just seeing him made my shoulders tense. Vane's face was unchanging as they spoke about whatever, but at one point Low reached into his pocket.

I just reacted, throwing my knife when I saw his hand reaching over the table to Vane. The blade buried itself into the wooden table right next to Low's hand as he was setting something down. Both men looked to the knife, and there was a twitch of a smirk on Vane's face while Low looked up in the direction it had come from.

"I had heard you are the Black Angel." Low glanced to the knife while tapping the hilt with his finger. "It seems the stories of your accuracy are not based on myth. Do you know what I also heard?" He smirked at me, and I snatched up my knife from the table. "You're a devil with your loyalties won by a deal. Is that true, and if so, what could I offer to have you as a part of my crew?"

"What's that?" Vane cut in, bringing the other pirate's attention back to the thing he had set down before. It looked like a small bag of money bound in leather, and Low rose from his seat.

"Tribute." He smiled. "And the respect of my crew. 10% of our most recent haul." Vane picked up the money while looking at it. "Would have been a little heavier, only she taxed us over the state of the containers." Low gave a short nod to the captain before turning to walk away, but he sent a smirk and a wink in my direction before leaving.

Not hiding how I cringed in disgust, Vane tossed the money back onto the table as he frowned.

"Seems Mr. Low has taken quite the interest in you, Deana." The captain's lieutenant smiled at me while raising his brows.

"Speak of it again, and I'll gut you with the pigs we have for dinner." I snarled, shutting him up as he simply chuckled.

~

Following Vane into the brothel, one of the whores was in the way, and he just bumped right past her.

"Rude." I said under my breath.

"Not in the mood, Deana." The captain said lowly over his shoulder to me.

"What are you going to do, spank me?" I scoffed while rolling my eyes. "Not like you're going to fucking shoot me or something else."

"Do you want to get spanked?" I paused, seeing the smirk on Vane's face as he looked down at me. Clearing my throat, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Gotta talk to Max, right? Let's find out where she is." I nodded, and the man seemed to return to the matter at hand as he looked around. Looking up the stairs, we saw Max coming down, and she hesitated upon seeing us. Going up to meet her halfway, Vane was the first to speak as he hooked his thumbs behind his belt.

"I hear this is once again a place where men come with coins in their pockets and secrets in their heads and leave with less of both." He said while leaning on the railing with chipping paint. "And I hear you're the one doing the collecting." There was a flash of terror in Max's eyes. "You can relax. I'm not here to stop it. Your place, do as you like."

"But there is a secret you wish my help in obtaining?" The woman questioned.  
"New crew on the island, captained by a man named Low. They're hiding something. A piece from their last prize. Something unique." Vane raised his shoulders briefly. "Something of great value. Seeing as his crew makes frequent use of your girls, I'd like you to find out what it is." Max was quiet for a second before stepping down the stairs some more to be even with the captain.

"The other day I had a moment with Eleanor. Told her all the things I wanted to say to her for so long. That I was unbroken by her. And I saw that it shook her. And I felt happy. And the moment she turned to walk away from me, do you know what I felt?" She asked. "The urge to go after her and hold her again." Vane rolled his eyes while looking away, and Max continued. "It's amazing, isn't it, the spell she casts on us."

"What are you talking about?" The captain looked back at her with a firm face and now I was feeling strange while standing there. _'....Shit....Eleanor was with Max, too?'_

"You're right. Captain Low's men are familiar faces here. Just today I heard all the captain was talking about were the awful things he'd like to visit upon Eleanor Guthrie. Given the timing of your request, I assume you've heard the same thing." Vane smirked while leaning off of the railing.

"Jack and Anne have no idea what they're up against with you, do they?" He questioned as he fully faced Max.

"The only question that remains is what difference does it make what his cargo is worth? Though I suppose if the value is great enough, it would give you pretense to move against him and call it business instead of calling it what it actually is." The woman furrowed her brows, and Vane gave an irritated sigh while pulling the money he got from Low out of his pocket.

"I'm going to assume we have an agreement." And Vane set the pouch onto the banister before going down the stairs.

"It's not enough." Max stopped him as I was about to follow. "The money is generous, but I'd rather have something else from you."

"Such as?" He turned to look at Max.

"Your former shipmates, they wish to sail again under their own banner. But so long as they bear the black mark you put upon them, their prospects will remain dim. ....I'd like you to remove it." Vane seemed to think about it, glanced to me, then gave a sharp nod before grabbing the money and pocketing it once more.

"Despite what you may think, this has nothing to do with Eleanor."

"Of course not." Max had a disbelieving tone in her voice. "Your asking just happens to coincide with Low making it clear how he felt regarding Eleanor." Vane said nothing, and he continued down the stairs with me following him. "I found a way to stop caring about her." The woman called out. "Would you like to know how?"

I had to quickly stop or I would have run into the captain as he turned on the stairs. He looked around my shoulder to Max, and I saw him smirk as he replied.

"No." Jolting when I felt him suddenly grab my ass while the other woman was looking right at us, Vane raised his brows. "I don't need it."

"I should punch you for that." I said lowly while narrowing my eyes at him.

"Then you really will get a spanking." Vane stated as he squeezed his hand before removing it. He went and took a seat at one of the tables below, and I assumed he was going to wait until Bonny and Jack's return to remove the black mark from them. Sighing as I rubbed my temples, I rested in the snake tree like before while Vane sat at the table right below the branch.

The boa, as if greeting me, slithered down and draped itself over my shoulders while wrapping around my arm. Its tongue flicked in and out, and the captain ordered some rum from one of the whores. The others in the brothel paid me no mind, either already used to seeing me in the tree from before, or too busy with their face in a whore's tits to even notice. When Bonny and Jack finally came back, Vane called out to them.

"Join me." He said while gesturing to the table in front of him. "Won't you?" Jack looked around, but hesitantly took a seat as all eyes in the brothel were on them. "Sit down." He raised his brows at Bonny as she still stood, but she then sat next to Jack.

"What's happening exactly?" Jack questioned, glancing to me as the boa was hanging from my arm like it was another branch.

"I'm repairing your reputations. Public display of reconciliation." The captain waved his hand. "So just sit there, smile, and let it happen." Vane then put a cup of rum in front of them while raising his own. "To Mr. Hamund. We hardly knew ye." The man then took a drink as Jack put his cup to the side.

" _'So just sit there, smile, and let it happen'_?" I rose my brow at him. "It's like you're forcing your affections onto them like a bloody cat." I chuckled. Without saying a word, Vane calmly reached his hand up while going past the snake to flick me on the forehead. "Ow! Motherfucker!"

"You two seem rather....close." Jack furrowed his brows while looking at us with scrutinizing eyes.

"Well, you were no longer around to receive my playful banter unless I came all the way to the brothel." Rubbing my forehead with my free hand, I shot a glare at the captain.

" _'Playful banter'_? You mean all of your sass and sarcasm?" The scrawny man shifted in his seat. "I'm surprised you're not reprimanded if you smart off to him as you did me."

"Look at the two of you." Vane spoke up, referring to Jack and Bonny. "Every reason to run screaming from each other. And yet you're still as thick as the moment I first found you fucking behind the galley." I rose a brow at the two of them because of what the captain said, and Bonny took a drink of her rum. "You'll either be the death of each other or we'll all end up working for you someday. Doubt there's any third outcome."

"Why? Why now?" Jack asked while grabbing his cup. Vane glanced to the stairs, and Max was coming down them as Bonny and Jack followed his line of sight. The woman bent over beside the captain to whisper something in his ear. Smoke left the blue eyed man's mouth before he turned to look at Max.

"No shit?" He said lowly, but the woman didn't say anything else while looking to the other two. Vane then looked to Jack and pointed. "Stand up." The other man had this strange look on his face, but did as he was told while Vane got to his feet as well. Bonny tensed, jumping from her seat as her hand went to her knife out of caution. The captain raised his hand in her direction, signalling that it was all right. She looked confused, and Vane held out his hand to Jack.

It was quiet in the brothel other than the squawking parrots, and Jack took Vane's hand before the larger man pulled him into a hug. They pat each other's backs, before the captain raised his brows at Max.

"Will that do?"

"I believe so."

"Congratulations, Jack. Now you know what it's like to rise from the grave." Vane said with a serious tone before walking away. "Come on, Deana." Sliding off of the tree, I untangled the boa from my arm before catching up with the captain.

"Hugging it out, huh? That's rather peaceful." I popped off.

"Jealous?" Vane smirked as we walked through the streets.

"Of Jack? Please, unless you're fucking him, there's nothing to be jealous of." I crossed my arms while looking ahead. "I have my own life and ambitions, there is no reason to be envious of Jack's."

"Ambitions?" The blue eyed man raised a brow as he looked at me.

"....I had a father that I left behind when I went to sail with the Petrel. I have no clue if he's even still alive now, but...." I sighed through my nose. "He disregarded me since I was no son, and I tried so hard to be worthy of something in his eyes. I'd work to get money, I'd load cargo and food onto boats to understand why he always spent his time at sea on a merchant ship, I tried many things, but nothing seemed to work. I knew that any affections that he had for me were not of love, but most likely hatred."

"My mother, when I was still very young, left my father for a pirate and he blamed me." I glanced to Vane to see his eyes still on me. "The reason I am not bothered by the stories sailors spread of me is because I hope that they somehow reach him. That somehow he remembers me if he has forgotten, or is at least forced to acknowledge that his _daughter_ became more known than he. I want him to know. If he were to hear of me joining the crew of Captain Charles Vane, a crew of pirates, he'd probably piss himself with rage and I'd laugh." I chuckled.

"I don't really hate him, though for a long time I thought I did. No, if I were to be honest, I'm just angry. Angry because of what I was denied and what he did, leaving me alone in that damn shack while he sailed, only for him to return for a few days or weeks to spend the fucking money I had earned on rum as he shouted and lashed out at me. So, Charles, I have an ambition of that asshole being left with no choice but to remember my name as stories of me are spread all around him."

"And if he's dead?" Vane asked softly.

"Well, I'm having a Hell of a good time right now, so nothing's being wasted." Smiling, I shrugged my shoulders. "Though, with the Petrel, I was supposed to rise through the ranks, but I was 13 and didn't realize how hard that'd be as a cook and a female. Plus, the men really liked the captain."

"I see." He glanced to a dog running past. "What about your mother? Does she still sail?"

"No." I answered softly. "The pirate she ran off with and his crew were caught soon after she joined them and they were all hung for piracy. I don't remember much of her, so don't go thinking I need to be comforted."

"Then I guess we just have to spread your name far and wide then, huh?"

"It's already started." I smirked.


	14. Far and Wide Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

Rowing up to Low's ship in the dead of night, we were met with a less than warm greeting from the half blind man and his crew. Going to the captain's quarters to talk, the two men just sat across from each other in silence for a good while. Crossing my arms as I leaned on the wall, I was mentally shouting for them to get on with it.

"You know, I don't believe I see any reason as to why she's here if _you_ wanted to talk to me." Low finally spoke while looking to me.

"May I?" Vane pointed to the bottle of rum on the table. Low glanced back to the other man before pushing a cup forward. Vane grabbed the bottle and pulled the cork free. "Deana seems to rather dislike you. As you have seen, she doesn't trust you and would much like an excuse to gut you should you make a move against me while I'm here." He drank from the bottle, ignoring the cup, and put the rum back onto the table.

"Oh, I doubt that. That lovely lass just likes a challenge." Low smirked. "And you as her captain should know better, Miss Deana Blake wouldn't gut me- she's no killer unlike you and I. If anything, if she somehow manages to beat me in a fight, she'd use those little knives of hers to put me within an inch of my life, but I'd live to see another day."

"I admire you for coming to see me earlier." Vane said while leaning back in his seat while putting a hand on the edge of the table. His brows were furrowed, and he kept his eyes on Low. "Showed you were a man who knows his place. That quality alone puts you ahead of practically every other captain on this island. So I'd like to make you an offer."

"An offer?" The other man tilted his head to the side a bit.

"Partnership between your crew and mine."

"I'm not interested. However, she is fully welcomed to join my crew." Low smirked.

"But you haven't heard the deal yet." Vane stated. "I took the fort to control the bay, but I have no desire to waste away in it. My place is at sea." He sighed. "But as I'm certain you've heard, I was recently deprived of my ship. Which means I need a new one. Were she to come with a strong crew, all the better."

"Let me stop you there." Low raised a hand. "Before I came to see you this morning, I will admit I was concerned. It's painfully clear you've got feelings for the Guthrie woman. If you could bring all your men to bear to protect her, to retaliate against anyone who would move against her, that might be reason enough to let this whole matter go." He raised his brows, and Vane clenched his jaw. "But do you know what I think now? I think your men couldn't care less about Eleanor Guthrie. I think they find your feelings for her to be pathetic. I think you're powerless to do anything about this. And for these reasons, I think my feelings about Eleanor scare you to death. And I must say, coming out here alone like this with only a woman as protection, it only serves to confirm my suspicions. Do your men even know you're here?" Low asked while setting his knife onto the table in front of himself.

"....I admit, I did feel for Eleanor. It clouded my judgement on many occasions, but I'm getting a bit tired of everyone assuming those feelings remain."

"They don't? Your actions show otherwise, or you wouldn't be here now."

"That woman that you seem to so easily overlook, you see, is part of the reason I'm here, and she could kill you if she honestly tried to. Hell, she nearly killed me twice when we first met." Vane pointed at me with his thumb. "I also recommend that you back the fuck off and leave things alone that don't belong to you."

"I recommend you get up and got off of my ship." Low said with an edge in his voice.

"Don't you want to hear the rest of my terms first?"

"By all means."

"I get your ship. I get your cargo. I get your weapons. I....get it all." Vane said lowly.

"And what....exactly, would I get in exchange for all that?"

"A head start." I popped off while flipping one of my knives in my hand.

"....Mr. Holmes." Low called out while looking to the door. There was silence as a reply, meaning that Vane's men were already on the ship.

"Mr. Holmes doesn't work here anymore." My captain said just before Low got to his feet while grabbing his knife off of the table. Vane was just as quick to react and kicked the table into the other man only to leap over it and crash into Low. Things were happening rather fast, and I saw Vane pull his own knife after Low managed to punch him off.

Low stabbed Vane's arm, and the man had to pull the knife from his forearm before Low kicked him back over the table. The half-blind captain grabbed something and hit Vane with it before using the rope on it to choke Vane as I was completely forgotten. Grabbing another knife in my hand, I jumped onto Low's back, burying my blades into the sides of his neck as blood covered my hands

With what strength Low had left, he knocked me off of his back before falling to his knees, his face mimicking a fish out of water as he reached up with his hands. Vane pulled the rope from around his neck and tossed it to the side as he turned to look down at the dying man. He spit some blood from his mouth before grabbing a fistful of Low's hair in one hand and one of my knives in the other.

Vane bared his teeth as he yanked the blade still in the man's neck, cutting him open as blood gushed from the open wound. Red stained the man still standing, and the captain finished it off by cutting Low's head off. Neither of us said a word, but seeing Low's head dangling from Vane's fist as my knife was still in his body while the other was in the captain's hand, I felt....relief.

I felt relief because I knew that from now on I'd no longer look over my shoulder, worrying about Low showing up and making me feel so vulgar just by uttering my name. I felt a snarl settle onto my face, and I grabbed my blade from Low's body before shoving it into his gaping mouth. Never again would he say my name or speak in my direction and make me feel so disgusting.

"....Feel better?" Vane rose a brow at me.

"You have no idea how much his voice irked me." I grumbled, and the captain carried out the severed head with him. The man was covered nearly head to toe in blood that was both his own and Low's. His crew were all on deck, already having taken over the ship, and they now all looked to Vane.

"Found the prize they was hiding." The balding man spoke after the quiet pause. "Just where the whore said she'd be."

After leaving the ship and returning to land, Vane decided to leave Low's head on a pike in the middle of town with a piece of parchment that said nothing more than four words.

_'I angered Charles Vane'_

He hadn't bothered in taking my knife from the head's mouth, so I'd have to somehow figure a way of getting it back or replacing it. When we got back to the fort, the men returned to doing what they had been before the whole ordeal while the captain went to wash off the blood he was soaked in. One of the men, for some reason unknown, brought me some water to clean my hands off in and just looked at me as I did so.

"What?" I snapped, looking up at him as the water was turning pink from the blood.

"....Please do not be angry, ma'am, but until tonight I thought of you nothing more that a mere woman. I believed you nothing more than a cook and thought the stories were based on lies. But now....I see that you deserve to be one of Captain Vane's men." He looked a bit younger than the others, and he was tense as he talked. "It would be an honor to call you my brother under the black, ma'am."

"Quit with the ' _ma'am'_ shit, you've all been calling me by name this entire time. It's fine." I told him, but I hardly even cared. In all honestly, I was more preoccupied with the fact that I wasn't bothered by killing someone at all. Sure, Vane had ended it faster, but Low would have died regardless from my knives and I couldn't find it anywhere in me where I gave a damn.

Was it because of who Low was? Was I not bothered because I had killed a monster rather than a man? Whatever it was, I wasn't sure how to handle such a void of emotion towards what I had down. I had expected there to be _something_ after. Remorse, guilt, anything, but there was absolutely nothing.

....Maybe I truly was a creature of the sea?

My head jerked up when I caught faint voices speaking Eleanor's name. Listening, I heard that she was in the fort, and I rose to my feet to go check on Vane. She had no doubt seen Low's head by now, and if she was here to reprimand him for it, I should be the one dealt the blame for the death.

Getting to the captain's room, I opened the door just as the blonde woman was kissing Vane....  
Oh, I felt something now. Finally killing a man had not moved me, but seeing that was like a heavy blow I couldn't protect myself from. I clenched my jaw as my hands fisted, and I went to turn away as I was closing the door, but I stopped when Vane suddenly pushed the woman off of him.

"I'm not playing your fucking games anymore, Eleanor." He said lowly as there was a look of bewilderment in the blonde's eyes. "I already said I didn't do it for you. You think I'm here to be toyed with whenever you please?"

"What-"

"Get out." Vane interrupted her. "We have a business partnership, nothing more."

"So fucking glad I didn't just run off." I spoke up, startling the both of them as they looked to where I was.

"Deana-"

"'S fine." I shrugged. "You pushed her off." Then I glared at Eleanor as my voice went hard. "Now you get the fuck away from him before I stab your scrawny ass." The woman looked rather confused and surprised, but as she glanced between Vane and I, something seemed to dawn on her.

"You two...." She trailed off.

"You got five seconds before I'm reaching for my knife." I snarled at her, and Eleanor finally decided it was a good time to leave. Turning to the captain, my firm look softened. "How's your arm?" I asked as I walked over to him.

"It'll heal." Vane replied, but I grabbed his arm to look for myself. Low's knife had only struck muscle, so it had to be sore as Hell even if nothing else. "....I am truly done with her, Deana." He spoke up, and I directed my eyes to his face.

"I believe you. You haven't lied to me so far, and I did say that I would trust you. But if I find out I'm just acting as some naive idiot, I will cut off your balls."

"Those are dangerous words." He chuckled.

"I'm a dangerous woman."

"So I've seen." Vane paused. "Are you okay?"

"....Oddly enough, I'm fine." I replied. "And I'm not quite sure why." The blue eyed man then grabbed my lower back, pulling my body close to his. He didn't say a word and only leaned down to kiss me. Wrapping my arms around the back of his neck, Vane lifted me up while my legs wrapped around his waist and his tongue slid into my mouth.

My back hit the outside of the fireplace as he ground his pelvis into mine, and the man was groping at my ass and thighs as things were getting hot pretty fast. Tugging on his shirt to get it off of him, my lips were moving in sync with the captain's before he dropped me to pull his shirt off the rest of the way himself. Tossing my knife belts to the side, I quickly took my own shirt off before we were kissing again.

Reaching down, I began to unbutton his trousers before he picked me up again and set me on the table after pushing everything off. There was a clattering as it landed on the floor, and Vane was massaging one of my breasts in his rough hand when he tugged me to the edge of the table while grinding against me. His body was hot and firm, and dear Lord, those lips were sinful as he kissed down my jaw to my neck.

Undoing my belt, I pulled it off and tossed it to the floor before pushing Vane back to hop to the floor. Trying to unbutton my pants, the captain turned me around and pulled my trousers down over my ass. Placing my hands onto the table in front of me, Vane grabbed my hip and I gave a small moan when he pushed his hard cock into my core. I felt his other hand tangle into my hair, slightly tugging as he thrusted his hips.

Moaning as my nails dug into the surface of the table, the blue eyed man was kissing and nipping at my shoulder and the back of my neck. I could feel his breath on my skin, and his hair tickled as it brushed over my shoulder blades. Vane leaned back, snapping his pelvis into me as he groaned and the hand on my hip traveled up my back. His fingers felt like they were leaving a trail of heat from his touch, and my tits were swaying from his heavy thrusts. I moaned and his grip in my hair tightened, and I spread my legs further to allow the man to go even deeper.

My nails raked over the table, and my head was cloudy from the pleasure. Vane touched the wings on my back, his fingers tracing the feathers as his cock was pumping in and out of me. Something warm was dripping down my inner thighs, the sound of my panting and moaning filled my ears along with Vane's heavy breath and groans. God, his voice made my body shiver, and his fingertips dancing over my back had a large contrast to his other hand that was tugging on my hair.

"That's it, angel." His voice was husky and like rumbling thunder. "Moan for me." And he picked up speed, thrusting faster and harder, making me moan every time his hips snapped into me. My knees were weak, but my hands on the table helped me remain standing as Vane seemed to be enjoying the view from above.

~

"What?" I spoke softly while looking up at the blue eyed man. He was looking down at me as we laid in his bed, and he gently put his hand on top of mine, stopping my fingers from tracing that burn on his chest. I didn't know what it was from, but I knew it had been made by a brand or something hot enough to burn and scar his skin like that.

"I don't really remember my parents well," He began. "but I was sold off as a slave to a man who ran a timber business." Vane continued as he turned his attention to the ceiling while I looked at the side of his face. "This brand marked me as his property, and I, along with many others, were forced into labor by his hand. He used to be a pirate before retiring with his crew into this business, and I remember him as a hulking mass of a man. He was a giant and we were just terrified children, being beaten whenever we did something wrong- Hell, even when we didn't do anything."

"But....it wasn't the violence that made us afraid. It wasn't the labor or the hunger....or the heat or the chains. It was the unknown." Vane's brows knit together as he seemed to hold my hand a little tighter. "The lash that comes from nowhere for reasons never explained. A visit from the taskmaster in the dead of night. I still remember that fear....and that's what terrified us."

"I managed to escape, and a pirate captain took me in soon after. Made me his sort of protege and taught me the many things that I know now. He was the closest thing I had to a father." There was a strange look in his eyes and I propped myself up on my hand to look down at him.

"I never would have known with the way you are." I stated. "Your many strengths and pride....no one would ever imagine that you came from such a history." Touching his cheek as he looked at me, I continued to speak lowly. "Thank you for telling me." And I placed a gentle kiss onto his lips.

Vane tucked my hair behind my ear before cupping my cheek in his hand, and a small smile graced his lips.

"If there is an angel of the sea, surely it is you."

"Mm, but if that were true then I really would be a black angel with my tainted wings."

"I wouldn't mind." He stated and I chuckled.

"No, you probably wouldn't. But you'd still be under my curse."

"Your curse?" Vane raised a brow.

"Well, I'd be lonely without you, so I'd curse you to have to endure my smart mouth for the rest of eternity." I smirked.

"Oh, that is a curse." The man chuckled, and his eyes seemed to glitter like gems as he looked at me. Honestly....I wouldn't know what to do if I lost him now.


	15. A Storm On The Horizon

"Go on." Vane growled after throwing the rum bottle at the messenger. We had spotted a Spanish Man-of-War in the harbor this morning, and as we were hearing now, Captain Flint and his crew were manning it.

"' _If you fail to meet these demands, if you remain when the deadline arrives, I will respond swiftly and definitively.'_ " The man said quickly while watching Vane with wide eyes. Eleanor was even present since she had come to the fort with her concerns about the ship, and Vane's lieutenant was leaning his hand on the fireplace. "' _And as I currently sit fully outside your means of retaliation, this response with continue unabated until you, your men, and that structure are rendered fully incapacitated. Until dawn, Captain James Flint.'_ " The messenger then held out the letter with what he had said written on it.

The captain was quiet, and the man in the doorway was clearly nervous as he slowly let his hand fall to his side.

"Get him out of here. Put him behind a door somewhere. I want him whole when he delivers my answer." Vane said to the man in the hall that drug the messenger off. "Make ready the guns in the northwest. Move everything we have to the southwest bastion."

"He's telling the truth." The lieutenant spoke up. "The southwest bastion is too weak to support any batteries at all." Vane went to look out the window as the man continued. "We have no guns that can reach his position. Somehow Flint knew exactly where to sit to take advantage." And he looked to Eleanor.

"Then find out how close I can get. Now." The lieutenant then left before Vane glanced to the blonde woman and looked back out the window. "Tell me right now you had nothing to do with this."

"Charles, look at me."

"Tell me this isn't part of your plan to push me into the sea." He ignored her and she stepped towards him, only stopping when I shot her a warning glare.

"Look at me." She demanded, and Vane reluctantly did so. "I had no idea this was coming. I had no idea that Flint would be so fucking reckless as to threaten the fort itself. I had no idea Hornigold would be so fucking petty as to divulge secrets about its weaknesses, risk its destruction for his own personal gain."

"I told you what I would do if challenged like this." Vane snarled as he walked away from the window.

"I know."

"I may not be able to hit his ship, but I can his the rest of them. I can turn that whole goddamn bay into a graveyard." The captain pointed.

"But you won't."

"You doubt me?"

"No....I have faith in your ability to formulate a plan more effective than this." Eleanor replied.

~

"Hold there." Vane's lieutenant called out as Eleanor was leaving. I was escorting her out while the captain was back with the messenger, and I looked to the balding man.

"The fuck are you doing?" I asked.

"The situation is as we feared. That warship is fully outside our field of fire. And given our severe disadvantage, might she provide us valuable leverage?" He gestured with his head to the blonde woman. "Make sure Flint knows the moment he fires those guns, her body gets dumped over the wall." I then glanced to the woman and she didn't look pleased.

"Your reply to Flint will be significantly more effective if it comes from me personally." The blonde said.

"You might want to keep quiet now, miss." The lieutenant spoke over her, and I clenched my jaw as I turned back to the man.

"You have questions about the captains loyalties as it relates to Miss Guthrie?" I furrowed my brows. "If you don't like her leaving, then challenge me. Fight me." I tilted my head while resting my hand onto one of my knives. "Or shut the fuck up about it." The lieutenant looked right at me, but said nothing and I glanced to the men at the gate. "Open the fucking gate!" I shouted.

The crew holding the doors had firm expressions on their faces, but opened the gate to let Eleanor out, showing that they listened to me more than the lieutenant. That, or they feared the reprisal of their captain.

~

"Deana, take this to the girl." Vane said as he handed me a quill, some parchment, and ink. He didn't have to specify who he was talking about, I already knew. The prize that Captain Low had coveted was a young woman that was a daughter to a very wealthy man. "And tell her what I am about to tell you." And I listened closely to the captain before heading to the cells within the bowels of the fort.

Carrying the ink and a stool in my hands, the parchment and quill were tucking into my belt. Using the key Vane had given me to unlock the door, I opened it and saw the young woman curled up in the far corner. Sighing through my nose, I set the stool down and placed the ink on it while looking at her.

Her dress looked at if it had been white before, and she was just as dirty as when we had found her. Her long, dark hair was a mess, and she wouldn't even look up as she seemed frightened.

"My captain's name is Charles Vane and you are now his guest." Her head jerked up when she heard my voice. "As such, no harm will come to you as long as you do exactly as he says. You understand?" I spoke lowly while looking at her.

"The other one....he said no talking." She mumbled while clutching the fabric of her dress.

"Captain Low? You don't need to worry about him anymore." I stated.

"How can you be sure?"

"The captain and I paid that vile man a visit and, well, let's say that his head ended up on a pike before morning."

"Good." Her voice gained some backbone, and I smirked before crossing my arms.

"Now, your father is Lord Peter Ashe, governor of the Carolina colony. Is that right?" She nodded. "What is the total value of his estate?"

"I don't know." She replied.

"How many rooms in his house? How many slaves?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Haven't seen him in years. I've been at school in London." She told me and my brows furrowed.

"Are you close with him?" I questioned.

"What?"

"I'm asking if there's any reason the captain should expect he may not be willing to pay to ensure no harm comes to you?"

"....You're asking if he loves me?" I tilted my head at her, but she dropped her gaze. "He'll pay you what you ask."

"I see." I said calmly, but I wasn't sure what that look on her face meant. "Your school taught you to write, correct?"

"Of course."

"Then write the following." I pulled the quill and parchment from my belt. "You're prisoner of the pirate Captain Charles Vane. Your ransom, should your father ever wish to see you alive again, is 250,000 pounds. The next contact the captain will make will be to arrive in Charlestown harbor with you in his possession. If he senses a trap or the demands are unmet, you'll be killed and your body thrown into the bay." I then held the quill and parchment out to her. "Do you understand?"

She hesitantly took them, but there was a questioning look in her eyes.

"If you want to ask me something, do it before I leave."

"How do you do it?" She asked. "You're a woman, yet here you are relaying word from your captain."

"You learn how to fight." I stated. "Then you take shit from no one and, eventually, the men start seeing you as an equal. Well....most of them, anyway." Sighing, I raised my brows. "But it's still an if-y life that you have to remain on top or you stumble and get chewed up by the wolves waiting below."

"And these men....they respect you?"

"Some of them do. Some of them fear me instead." I then pat some of my knives for emphasis.

"And the captain? Does he respect or fear you?" She asked while looking up at me.

"The captain is the captain." I smirked before turning on my heel. Going outside to find Vane, he was standing with the lieutenant and I saw men that weren't from his crew working on barricades and setting up guns. "Where the Hell did they come from?" I asked.

"The beach." The captain replied while glancing to me. "They've decided to join us against Captain Flint and his men."


	16. Slap >.>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

Sunrise came with cannonballs raining down on the fort from the Man-of-War in the water. Men were running to and fro, replacing those that had fallen while trying to get the walls to withstand the attack from Captain Flint. Going into the bowels of the fort, the captain and some of the crew were guarding the girl we had gotten from Low's ship.

It had gotten quiet up above, and we were left to wait as the last defense for the fort. I glanced up when the lieutenant returned and placed his torch onto the wall.

"The courtyard wall's destroyed." He said to Vane. "A breach in the northwestern corridor. Seaward-facing batteries are gone as are most of the westward guns."

"How many did we lose?"

"Seven. Another nine injured. How long do you expect?" The balding man asked. "Before the men are massing themselves on the beach to begin their assault?"

"Two hours. Maybe less." Vane then looked to the Lord's daughter. "Larson. Take her back to the cell." One of the men stood. "Make sure she remains safe while I'm gone. No one is to touch her. Understood?"

"Aye." And the man called Larson went to take the girl back to the cell.

"While you're gone? Where are you going?"

"No matter how many of his men we kill, he can find more. Eventually....they breach and we die."

"So you're leaving?"

"It's too great of a force to defeat if we attempt to fight the body of it. Only way to beat it is to cut off its head."

"And you think you're going out there alone?" I furrowed my brows.

"No." Vane looked right at me. "You're coming with me."

"You're taking a woman?" The lieutenant said with an incredulous tone.

"You seem to be forgetting who that woman is. I think it best you remember before it's too late." The captain gave the man a look.

~

After tucking all of my red hair into a hat so that it wouldn't be a dead give-away, I searched the beach for Captain Flint. Tailing him from a distance, I watched him walk into town and followed him. The man kept walking with his head held high as he looked straight ahead, never once bothering to look over his shoulder.

It made what I had to do fairly simple, and Vane was hiding out, waiting for me to relay to him where Flint was so that he could strike. I was small, unnoticeable as I easily blended in with a simple hat and coat unlike Vane with his face well town and how big of a man he was. So, I was to watch Captain Flint, find out where he was going, then tell Vane.

Flint ended up going into Eleanor's tavern with some woman, and seeing that he didn't leave a minute later, I went to my captain and told him where to find Flint. I didn't like how Vane planned on facing the other captain alone, so I kept a close eye on the bar after he slipped in. When I heard a gun go off, however, I ran inside while getting a knife in each hand.

Nearly skidding to a halt upstairs when I found everyone, I saw Eleanor holding a gun, Captain Flint sitting down while cleaning the blood from his face, and Vane leaning on the wall in front of a window. If the men weren't so bloody, I would have compared the scene to a sibling fight broken up by mother wielding a firearm.

"You look like shit." I popped off while raising my brows at Flint. Vane only looked to have blood coming from his mouth and wasn't as nearly as bloody as the captain sitting down.

"Who the fuck are you?" Flint shot me a look, and I put my blades away. The man's brows furrowed as he spotted the small knives filling the belts that criss-crossed my body.

"That, Captain Flint, is the Black Angel." Eleanor sighed as I took the hat off and my red hair fell over my shoulders.

"But those that know me just call me Deana." I added. "You want a bit of something to clean that off, Capt'n?" Raising a brow, I pointed while looking at Vane's bloody face.

"I'm fine." He grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, seeing as I don't fancy the thought of you kicking the bucket any time soon, I came in when I heard the gun." I replied while tossing the large hat onto the table.

"You were outside, weren't you?"

"....You really think I'd leave you to fight Flint alone?" Looking at the man like he was an idiot, I then glanced to the other captain. "Even if you managed to do that."

"So the Black Angel's loyalties are like that of a dog." Captain Flint said while dabbing his face with a handkerchief.

"I doubt you could say the same for any of your own men." I stated, and Flint went quiet as his face went stern. Eleanor put the gun in her hands onto the table just before a man walked in followed by the woman that was with Flint earlier. It was silent for a few seconds before the captain sitting down placed a hand onto the table.

"It will likely start with three ships, maybe four. A tactical assault to retake the bay. Once England decides she wants this place back, the resources that she will commit towards that end are inexhaustible." Captain Flint shook his head. "Sooner or later, we'll be driven inland, forced to fight as rebels from the interior hoping to inflict enough damage and expense to compel the new governor to negotiate with what's left of us. For years I prepared for that fight. Now it would appear that there is another way, a way in which we can control our futures without that fight." Flint stated. "And as fate would have it, you are holding the key to make that possible."

"The girl." Eleanor spoke up.

"Her father is a very powerful, very influential man. If I return her to him unharmed, I believe that I can win him as an ally, an advocate in London to argue for a reconciliation with England where we keep our assets, maintain control, and name a governor of our own choosing." Flint continued. "I believe that there is an opportunity at hand, an opportunity where we control our own futures. We just all need to agree to take it."

"Peter Ashe. Returning his daughter might gain his ear, but there is no man in the Americas with a more strident contempt for piracy than he. No amount of appreciation is going to make him forget that." Eleanor shook her head as Captain Flint stood.

"A long time ago, he and I were friends. Good friends. We....fought alongside each other towards this very end....a stable and prosperous Nassau."

"We're talking about a man who took a struggling Carolina colony and turned it into a commercial success." The older man next to the blonde woman said. "And from what I'm told by friends in London, is unparalleled in his ability to maneuver the avenues of power in Parliament. If that man could be persuaded, as you say, if that man chose to be our advocate, that would certainly argue well for our prospects."

"What do I get?" Vane piped in. "If this, if that." He waved his hand. "Yet it all relies on an asset you do not possess."

"What do you get? You get what we all get- a future."

"Show it to me. Hand me my future here in this room. What? It isn't just your words, is it? The promise of a thing hard to define and impossible to deliver- that is what you're suggesting I get in exchange for surrendering an asset worth what that girl is worth?"

"If you're looking for something more immediate, then how about your own survival? If we cannot agree to do this together, then I walk out of here and I lead my men in cutting down what remains of yours."

"This girl is so valuable to you, and you would risk her death just to punish me? You want her? You have two choices. Try and take her and hope she survives the fight or....pay me what she's worth."

"And what exactly do you estimate that to be?"

"One Spanish Man of War." Vane stepped forward.

"He can't do that even if he wanted to." Eleanor rose her voice. "That ship belongs to his men."

"Says the woman who managed to separate me from my last ship with just a few choice words." Vane replied with an angry edge in his tone. "You want to see that girl alive, I suggest you not try and stop me. Among the men she is surrounded by right now, I am quite certainly the most reasonable one. I believe my terms are clear. You know where to find me to deliver your response." And Vane walked out. Quickly grabbing the hat from the table, I went to catch up with the man's long stride.

"Stop." Eleanor called out when we reached outside. "You can't walk away from this."

"....Were it anyone else in the world, you would see right through this. But that man starts talking and you'll believe anything. You have a choice to make. It's long past due. Until then, there's nothing for you and I to say." The captain then turned on his heel and the blonde woman looked to me.

"Deana, make him see reason, please." There was a pause now as both of them looked at me and Eleanor had put me on the spot. Sighing, I looked right back at the blonde.

"....True, Captain Flint had a pleasant plan, but as someone that has manipulated my way through life as a must, I can easily spot that the man in there will always have an ulterior motive hidden behind his glamorous words. My captain, on the other hand, has also risen a valuable point. Flint cannot guarantee anything, his word is all there is, and nothing is to say that his plan won't fail in a blazing end. You do not leap off of a edge without seeing how close the ground is first." I said, and the woman dropped her gaze as I walked away from her.

~  
Crouching in front of the fire as I tossed some logs in, Vane was sitting behind me, looking as if he was lost in thought while fiddling with some piece of rock that had been knocked loose by a cannonball hitting just above his room. There was dust and loose rocks scattered by his window, even some wooden beams, but nothing that couldn't be easily fixed.

"Don't say a fucking word. Just sit there and listen. And you keep your knives where they are." Eleanor said as soon as she entered the room. "You're right about me, about what I am."

 _'A total backstabbing bitch?'_ I thought, but kept my mouth shut to listen.

"I am like you, so I know what you're feeling right now- that I'm asking you to weaken yourself for someone else, for the island's sake, for my sake. But you're wrong. We control something so valuable, the whole of England wants it. We control Nassau, and the ransom we are going to demand for her is going to be fucking enormous. More than money. More than land. ....Legitimacy."

"Legitimacy?" Vane spoke lowly, and I looked over my shoulder. "England is going to give that to you?" He rose his eyebrows at her.

"When they realize it is the only outcome that makes any sense, they'll have to. And the moment they ratify our control over this place, no more fighting, no more leads, no more chasing our fucking meals. I'm talking about making money the way London makes money....collecting it, not hunting it, and in amounts that mean something." Eleanor was trying to convince Vane to see her way of things. "Give up the girl. Make the deal. Do this with me and you can have a real future here with Deana if you so please."

"Eleanor, when I take something from a man, his ship, his money, his life, I don't hide behind a clerk." The captain told her. "I don't hide behind the law. I don't hide behind anything. I look him in his eye....and I give him every chance to deny me. _That_ is legitimate." The blonde sighed. "I know what he wants you to believe, but he's wrong. England's return isn't inevitable. England has no more appetite for taking this place back today than it did yesterday, or last month, or last year, because they know it is inhabited by too many men like me." He rose to his feet, looking right at Eleanor. "Men who would die before being another man's slave again."

"Why do you bother?" I spoke up.

"Excuse me?" The woman furrowed her brows.

"You say _'we'_ this, and _'we'_ that, but have you ever actually felt hunger?" Standing, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Have you actually ever missed a meal because the men that work for you didn't bring enough from a prize? Have you actually put your life in danger to keep something you had? Honestly, have you even gotten into a real fight? Gotten beaten down and left bloody where you dropped?" I paused to look at her face, and the answer was clear. "I didn't think so. You say you are trying for the good of Nassau and it's people, but until you come off of your high-horse and actually know what it's like to be in situations such as these rather than having pawns to battle for you, fuck off."

"I have lived here since I was a child. I have walked these streets, I have seen the horrors you could only imagine-" She pointed.

"I'm going to stop you right there. You've _'seen'_ the horrors? You've _'walked'_ the streets? Most of the people working for you have _lived_ these horrors you bore witness to. Let me guess, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're father that previously ran Nassau was absent most of your life, leaving you with, let me see if I remember his name, Mr. Scott to take care of you instead. Your family slave became the father role you lacked, and when you decided you had enough of only watching through the window, you decided to fill your father's shoes and run the business you now own. You thought that with the pirates and the people working with you, coming to you with issues, that made you an integral part of this island, made you one of them. You, Eleanor, are quite mistaken. A girl from a rich family that has never suffered hunger nor the pains of labor cannot even try to say she has when she hasn't lifted a finger and only her voice to make things happen."

"Oh, and what would you know of it? You had a place aboard a ship for years, what would you know about any of it? I had nothing and made something!" There was a loud smack, and it took me a second to realize I had even slapped her. Taking a deep breath, I crouched to be eye level with the woman that was now on the ground holding her cheek that had a clear, red mark from where my hand had struck.

"No, Eleanor, you've always had something. You've had Mr. Scott. You've had Charles. You've had Max. And you threw all of them away when they no longer suited you. Four years old. You know what I was doing at that age? I wasn't being schooled, I wasn't being loved, I wasn't being taught how to properly do basic things a child at that age should be. No, what I was doing was threatening my own father with a shard of glass to keep him from throwing me to the dogs. And even then, I had something." My voice was low as I tilted my head at her.

"I wasn't born with the advantages in life that you had. I've actually had to physically fight to keep from starving. And you know what else?" I grabbed her chin to make her look me in the eye. "I do not envy you." I scoffed. "I am not jealous that you were loved by someone even as a child, or even that you could afford the clothes you wore or the food you ate. Not one bit. And do you know why? Because my history made me strong. It made me into who I am today. I'm the fucking Black Angel now because I wasn't born into a life like yours, and I now have someone that loves me that I will never throw away simply because they do not benefit me."

The blonde said nothing as she jerked her chin away from my hand. She looked pissed, and she angrily got to her feet before rushing out.

"Hey." And I looked up when I felt a hand on my cheek. Leaning into his touch, I held the back of his hand while sighing through my nose. "You needn't worry about her. She'll be angry with you, but there's nothing she can really do to you for saying what you did." Looking into those blue eyes of his, I couldn't think of anything to say. Listening to Eleanor putting herself in the same boat as the rest of us made me angry, and how she was trying to goad Vane to her side only pissed me off when I remembered how the man cried because of her. She had hurt him so, and as far as I knew, had never made a means to apologize.

This man....how he had loved her and how he had paid dearly for it.... But now, as he had told me, loved me and his heart was in my hands. Never would I want to make him feel such pain as she had, but I feared holding on to him too tightly may make him run from me. He and my name were all I had, and only he was what I cared for. I didn't want to break the only thing I loved....  
Leaning my head up, I kissed him softly, hoping to relay to him what I couldn't possibly find the words to say. The hand on my cheek went to the back of my neck, and Vane kissed me back with such passion. It wasn't long before we were both pulling at each other's clothes and stumbling to the bed, kissing one another and holding onto the other so closely.

The captain, for a change, was beneath me, looking up at me as I was moaning and panting his name. His hands were firmly on my hips, and my nails were raking over his tan chest as my body reacted so easily to his touch. His rough palms began to wander, grabbing onto my bouncing breasts as he thrusted his hips up into me. I hardly kept enough mind to keep riding Vane as much of my head was clouded by the feeling of his body against my own.

I rolled my hips and found what felt good, watching how the man's blue eyes looked so dark as sweat coated his skin. The beast of a man beneath me licked his lips as he groaned, and he was absolutely a sight with those pleasure filled eyes and his long hair like a dark halo around his head. The pirate was a beautiful man with such prowess, yet here he was, breathless because of me.

Oh, did that make my pride swell as we went until the sun was dipping in the sky behind the horizon.


	17. Waking Pt. 1

"Captain!" I stirred with the sudden shout, and fully awoke when the man next to me jolted up. Groggily looking up, I saw a man that was slightly confused while looking at me as I sat up and kept the blanket covering me.

"What is it?" Vane nearly growled.

"It's the girl." He then turned his attention back to the captain. "She's missing from her cell. The guard that had been posted at her door was found unconscious and we're already searching the fort for her."

"Get out!" Vane snarled as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his pants. "Make sure all the exits are closed and check the surrounding area." The man nodded before quickly leaving, and I jumped out of the bed to quickly get dressed. If they had already been searching for her, than she was more than likely in the tunnels with whoever was helping her escape.

Grabbing a torch, I didn't even bother to wait for Vane before I was bolting down the hall and going deeper into the bowels of the fort. Seeming to have the same idea, the captain was soon behind me as I hurried around a corner. Reaching a dead end where a rusted gate was, I stopped at who I saw standing there, key in the lock on the other side. _'Fuck.'_ Was all I managed to think of as Eleanor's wide eyes went from me to Vane.

The man was utterly quiet, looking to the chain and lock, and then to the girl holding the torch on the other side.

"I saved your life." Vane said lowly, and from the tone in his voice, I knew.... I knew that the woman he had held so dearly before me had managed to hurt him yet again. "Low and his crew. I killed them all to protect you both."

"You didn't do it for me." Eleanor shook her head.

"You will turn on absolutely anyone, won't you?" Vane asked. "So what's the plan? Leave me to answer for this among the men? Assume they'll tear me to pieces for granting access to the woman who stole the girl out from under us? My death sentence? Listen to me clearly. Put down that key, walk back through that gate, return the girl, and I will sort this with the men. You have my word. But lock that gate and there is no walking back through it, ever. And I assure you, you will hear from me again."

Eleanor was quiet as she looked at Vane, and as soon as that lock clicked, Vane took the torch from me while hearing men coming down the hallway.

"If that is your answer, then take Deana with you."

"What?" I turned on him while raising my voice. "The fuck do you think you're doing?"

"If the men do not listen to reason and decide my life is to pay for this, Deana _will_ be drug into it." Vane tried to push me towards the gate. "If you get her out of here, I'll tell them I found nothing this way. I will not risk her life for my mistake of trusting you."

"Charles, I will kick your ass for even thinking I'd leave you to sign your death certificate!" I snarled. "The fuck are you even thinking?!"

"Deana, just do this, please." And his eyes looked coldly to Eleanor. "If things go as planned, I _will_ find you. I promise you that." Vane said to me. "Now, stop arguing-"

"Arguing?! You think this is even up for debate?!"

"I'm sorry, Deana." And guilt flashed in his eyes before he swung a fist and everything went dark.

~

"Oh, fucking Hell." I groaned while holding my jaw as I came to. "I'm going to kill that bastard." I snarled.

"Unless you truly are a fallen angel, there is no way of doing that if he's already dead." I quickly sat up when I heard the man's voice. The first thing I saw was Captain Flint at a desk, reading some book before I realized I was in what strongly resembled a captain's quarters. My lip twitched up into a snarl, feeling the familiar rocking beneath me that told me we were at sea.

"Where the fuck am I?"

"Aboard my ship. According to Eleanor, your captain rendered you unconscious to slip you out of the fort to safety while his men were in an uproar to find the girl missing from her cell." Flint closed his book before setting it down. "She was going to simply leave you in the care of Captain Rackham due to your shared history, but it seems that Abigail, for God know's what reason, has taken a liking to you and seems to look at you with respect." The man then looked at me flatly. "With the aid of sedatives, we managed to get you onto the ship without fuss and we're already a day's journey out from Nassau, so you can't possibly get back."

"I could easily steal a longboat and row back."

"Steal a longboat? How do you possibly imagine to get through my number of men to do so?" He rose a brow at me, and I looked down at myself to see that I had none of my knives whatsoever. "Eleanor took the liberty of disarming you of the few blades you had with you already, knowing your capabilities with a knife."

"So you kidnap me and leave me weaponless all because some _girl_ took a shine to me?" I snarled.

"Yes. And there's the simple fact that I now possess the Black Angel." Flint rose from his chair and went to the door. "If you'd like to speak to Abigail, feel free to. But know that you are stuck on this ship until we reach the colony unless you plan on leaping from the side of the ship and drowning yourself before hand." He said while opening the door.

I could see the deck through the door and men working with the ropes to move the sails and catch the wind. With no weapons and no means of escape, I was stuck here whether I liked it or not....

Reluctantly getting to my feet, I glared at Captain Flint while walking out the door. The sun momentarily blinded me, but the smell of the ocean and the spray of the waves as the boat rocked beneath me felt like home. I had been stuck on land for so long I had nearly forgotten this feeling, and I closed my eyes to take a moment to remember it clearly. I could hear the crew and the waves, and if I thought hard enough I could think of it as Vane's crew instead. I could hear his rumbling voice in my head, nagging me whenever I might jump off the side of the ship for a swim. If this were his crew and his ship, I'd be at peace that I had finally returned to the water.

"Look at her, it's like she's been starved of home." I heard a man whisper.

"Didn't you know?" Another one replied as my face fell into a frown. "She's actually a creature of the sea. She only looks human 'cause she's bound to Captain Vane and his crew."

"You really believe those stories?"

"How else you explain a woman being able to do what she does?" The man asked as I looked right at them. They were too busy talking to each other to notice I was staring at them. "It's said that she can cut a fly in half with how well she throws a blade. That's why Miss Guthrie took the few knives she had on her."

"You're joking, right?" And they finally looked back at me, jolting when they saw me looking right at them. Sighing through my nose, I turned on my heel and glanced around for Abigail. Spotting her, I walked to where she was writing in some journal.

"Deana! You're awake." She softly smiled at me when she happened to look up. The woman I had seen with Flint the other day was sitting with her, reading some book.

"You told Captain Flint to take me as well. Why?" Her smile faltered as I crossed my arms.

"Honestly....I felt safer to have you. You're a woman, yet the pirates leave you be."

"Safer." I repeated under my breath and my shoulder's slumped. "What happened at the fort?"

"....We heard no word after we left, nor before we set sail." She replied. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything, but I know nothing of what happened after we left the fort."

"That's fine." I looked out to the open water, wondering what could possibly have happened to Vane.

~

Walking through the talking and laughing men all seated and eating, I was going to get some food while dodging around a few that weren't paying attention to where they were going. Sighing through my nose, I went past a table only to completely stop in my tracks when one of the men smacked my ass. I heard laughing from him and a few others around him before he spoke.

"Black Angel? Please, you're but a woman." He chuckled. "So, how's about-" He was cut off when I spun on my heel and grabbed the fork from the table while grabbing his throat. Since he was straddling the bench, I put my boot close to his crotch while holding the fork close to his eye. Every one went dead silent as fear filled the man's eyes, and I glared down at him.

"Touch me again, and you'll find yourself without your balls. Make a comment about me being a woman or say anything obscene about me, and I'll gauge your fucking eyes out." I snarled, tightening my grip on his throat as he swallowed.

"Deana, let him go." I heard Flint call out with a firm tone, and I briefly glanced to him. He was eating and had only looked up long enough to see why everyone had gone quiet. My jaw ticked, but I slammed the fork into the table and let the man go.

From then on, the rest of Captain Flint's crew left me alone even if I didn't have my blades. I didn't jump into the water when I felt like swimming because I doubted the crew would care if they happened to leave me behind....

I was angry for being stuck on Flint's ship and I wasn't about to hide that fact as I walked the ship with a glare plain on my face. The more superstitious of the crew worried I may curse them, but I was more likely to punch them in the face seeing as I wasn't really a mythical beast of the sea. I was like a phantom on the ship as men were wary of me tried to avoid crossing paths with me, but Abigail spoke to me from time to time with no issue.

One night, however, I was hanging off the side of the port side of the ship out of boredom while looking into the dark water below. The sky was clear and filled with stars, and my silent contemplation was interrupted when the man called Silver leaned onto the ship next to me.

"Deana Blake." He began, speaking calmly while looking out over the open waters. "A woman feared by pirates simply because she has skills men could only dream of possessing. Tell me, how is it that you came to be called Black Angel? Sure, you have beauty many do not have, but....the rest?" He rose a brow at me, and I barely glanced in his direction.

"I have wings." I mumbled.

"Wings?" Silver furrowed his eyebrows while looking at me fully. Without saying anything, I rolled up my sleeve to my shoulder to show the black feathers that stopped around my elbow. The dark haired man eyed them, then gestured with his hands to them. "And how is it that anyone actually sees those?"

"If you've heard the story that makes me out to be some creature, you would figure it out."

"....' _with wings as dark as night that are only visible when she is in the water'._..." He mumbled before it seemed to dawn on him. "You swim?" And I nodded.

"Before, I'd just dive off the side when I felt like it. The men would drop a rope for me when I was done." I crossed my arms and rested my chin on my arms. "....Charles would just let me go to the water whenever I wanted to swim."

"I see." Silver laced his fingers together. "And you miss your captain, do you?" Shooting the man a glare, I didn't understand why he was suddenly talking to me. "What? I'm only trying to have a civil conversation with you. Find out where the truth lies within all of the mystery."

"I'll tell you right now, there's nothing but sarcasm, short temper, and a whole lot of the word 'fuck' here."

"Ah, but sarcasm is a sign of intelligence, is it not?"

"I'll give you a sign of intelligence when I rip out your vertebrae."

"....The fact that you know that word goes to prove my point." His smile fell before he cleared his throat. "Since you are unwilling to speak of yourself anymore, why not tell me about Captain Vane, then?"

"Stubborn." I huffed.

"Okay, well, that's a start."

"And an idiot." I narrowed my eyes. "But smarter than you would think with how much of a brute he can be."

"You mean with taking out Low's crew? I heard you were the one to off the captain- left your knife in his mouth even."

"Well, I was the one to kill that prick, but Charles was the one to cut off his head. That's another thing- that man has mood swings like a woman. Not that I actually mind, I find it amusing, but when he goes from that unreadable look on his face to laughing, you have to wonder what the Hell you could have done that was so funny. Did you mess something up? Were you doing something so wrong that he found it humorous? Or did you have something on your face that made you look ridiculous?"

"Is that so? I honestly don't think I can imagine that man ever laughing."

"I wouldn't either if I hadn't seen it myself." I stated. "But it's much nicer to have him smiling then glaring as he holds a cutlass to your throat, am I right?"

"I would have to agree." Silver nodded. "Unless he is smiling while holding the cutlass, that is. Is he fair as a captain?"

"He had two women in his crew and you ask if he is a fair captain?" I rose a brow. "Of course he's a fair captain. I would have stabbed him if he wasn't." Then, turning my head to look at Silver, I pointed while furrowing my brows. "If you haven't caught on by now, I'm not going to give you any information you may be able to use against my captain."

"What?"

"I know your type." I shrugged. "Hell, I was your type. Information is knowledge, and knowledge is power that can be used however you please if used correctly. You think I was able to sail the seas as a woman the honest way a man could? Of course not."

"That wasn't my intention-"

"Of course that was your intention. Maybe not consciously, but it was there. You soak up the information, save it for when you need it, then use it to your advantage at a later date. Don't worry, I know what it's like. Just don't try to pry anything out of me or I'll react violently."

"I understand." Silver awkwardly shifted on his feet. "Then how about I tell you about my captain?"

"Save it. I've met your captain, spoken to him even, so I already know the man he is."

"....Do you now?"

"Manipulative and conniving. Most of the words that come out of his mouth have dual meaning and I doubt many people can even understand what he really intends to do at any given moment."

"That's quite a specific read you've got. How is it that you came to think Captain Flint is this sort?"

"You learn to read a target fast or risk striking the wrong person. Pick up certain ticks and cues to find who to pin the flag on and who not to, or how to read someone to figure how things may play out."

"You were a street kid, weren't you?"

"No shit, Silver." I said with heavy sarcasm.

"How about we avoid the attitude? We can just sit and watch the boundless amounts of water we are surrounded by."

"That's what I was doing before you interrupted." I popped off, but the man said nothing in reply as he sighed through his nose. By not saying anything, he left me nothing to smart off to unless I continued the conversation myself. Seeing as I was in no mood to honestly talk, I just blinked and looked to the ocean.


	18. Waking Pt. 2

"Prepare to drop anchor!" I heard a man call out as we neared Charlestown. The mass of land ahead was nothing but green save for where the buildings were constructed, and there were other ships already in the water. A whistle blew as longboats rowed up to the Man of War, and the man standing in the boat in front rose his voice.

"Captain Vane!" He shouted, making my frown deepen since that wasn't who was captaining this ship. "Captain Vane!" He called, and Flint walked to the edge of the ship. "Are you captain Vane? We received your letter and your demands. We are prepared to pay the sum you requested for Abigail Ashe."

"I am not Charles Vane." Flint yelled back. "I have no demands. But I do have a request." He waved over Abigail and she went to stand next to him. He, Abigail, and Mrs. Barlow then left with the longboats, leaving the rest of his crew on the ship.

Watching them row to the docks, I glanced to the water below. The boat was now still, and I had frustrations and thoughts that needed to be somehow calmed for even a little bit. Calmly, I went to the captain's quarters to put the bandages over my chest and kicked off my shoes. The boat was anchored, so now was my chance to swim to clear my head of everything that had been plaguing it since I woke aboard Flint's ship.

When I stepped back onto the deck, the men that saw me paused, stopping what they were doing as they stared. Ignoring them, I raised my hand while pointing.

"Mr. Silver, I'm going for a swim." I said loud enough that the dark haired man heard me, and he turned with his brows furrowed.

"What?" Then his eyes went a fraction wider as he saw me. "Wait, hold on-" Simply waving, I climbed onto the side of the ship, and dove into the water below. The cool water surrounded me, and I just felt better with my eyes closed under the water as it felt like I was just floating in an endless void. When it felt like there was nothing, I was able to focus on that instead of anything else.

Taking a deep breath when my head broke the surface, I slicked my wet hair back and looked up to the boat. Captain Flint's crew lined the side, looking down at me since I had just jumped off of the side of their boat.

"Deana! If you wanted to swim so badly, we could have lowered you in! What if you got hurt from hitting the water?" Silver shouted while hanging off of the side.

"It's better than being stuck up there with you smelly lot!" I shot back, and I could clearly see the reaction on his face despite the distance.

"And here I thought we had a mutual understanding of one another."

"That's why I gave you warning first." I replied before turning away and diving back under the water. I went down as far as I could to see the depth of the water, but I didn't even reach the sand before my lungs needed air. The water was like a comfort for me, so I just lazily swam above and below the surface while remaining within a certain distance of the ship.

Making bubbles when I sighed, I breathed through my nose while swimming the length of the ship. I didn't get too close in case the bottom was covered by barnacles, and the crew eventually returned to work and to repairing the rigging that had broken the other night and ended up killing a man.

For hours I remained in the water simply because I didn't want to be aboard the ship, and after night fell, Silver leaned over the side to shout down to me again.

"Deana, I think it's time you came back up now." He called out. "You might get sick if you stay in any longer. That, or eventually turn into the siren the men are starting to think you are." I made some bubbles from my mouth as I rolled my eyes, but I began to swim back to the ship as a rope was dropped over the side.

Someone had started playing a violin a while ago, and it had added to the calming affect the water had on to me. The pirate playing the instrument was rather skilled, and I grabbed onto the rope while hoisting myself from the water. Silver left my view, and I hauled myself high enough to plant my feet onto the side of the ship to climb up easier.

When I reached the top, I sat on the edge with my legs dangling over the water as I gathered up my hair and wrung it out. Looking to the sky as the water dripped from my red locks, the moon was bright and the stars littered the sky.

"We're under attack!" Billy shouted from above, and I glanced over my shoulder to see men climbing over the sides of the ship and attacking Flint's crew. They were quiet and swift, and Captain Flint's men only had a chance to fight back because of the man on the sails giving warning. Watching as it seemed the boat was being taken over, I simply sighed through my nose and looked back to the water.

Like I cared what was happening to Flint's crew? Like I cared what was happening to his ship? If one of the attackers planned on aiming his sword my way, I'd just slid off the side of the boat and back into the water. Land wasn't that far away, so I could easily swim there to escape, steal a boat, then head back to Nassau to find out what the fuck happened in that damned fort.

Ignoring the shouting and the screaming behind me, I began to wring the water from my trousers as well. I could hear swords clanging together, fists thudding against flesh, men grunting as they fought, and I just sat there while watching the water from my clothes drip back to the sea below.

"Secure!" One shouted as the fighting ceased, and it seemed some random person on the side of the ship doing nothing was ignored since I hadn't thrown myself into the fight.

"Tie 'em up. Down in the well with 'em."

"Take them alive." And they were corralling what was left of Flint's crew together.

"You don't even lift a finger to help them?" I heard a voice from behind me and it oddly sounded familiar.

"They aren't my crew." I stated.

"Damn right, they aren't." I looked over my shoulder as my brows furrowed. That voice....that voice I knew too well. My eyes went wide as I saw Vane and his lieutenant there, and I felt like something in my chest swelled to see the captain well.

"Charles!" The man smirked as I launched myself at him. He caught me as my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck. Burying my face into his neck, I just hugged him so tightly as he held me. So what if every one saw, I hadn't seen the man since Nassau and I thought he was going to end up dead or worse because of how things were then.

"I told you I would find you." The man chuckled lowly, his body shaking from the light laugh, and I then looked him in the eye while glaring. His soft smile fell, and he seemed to try to figure out why I was making the face I was. "What is it?" Vane asked.

"You fucking asshole!" I shouted before headbutting him, giving him a bloody nose. "You think you can just get away with punching me? I had a giant fucking bruise because of your fucking heavy ass bear hands!" The captain clenched his jaw, rubbing his nose with the back of his fist.

"Do that again and I'll throw you back into the damn ocean." He warned.

"I'll only do it again if you pull something as stupid as you did back at the fort." I retorted. "Do you realize Eleanor gave me to Flint like I was some dog because that girl had taken a _'liking'_ to me? Not to mention the first thing I see when I woke up was his ugly ass face saying I'm stuck on this fucking ship and that he now ' _possesses the Black Angel'_ like just having me here automatically guarantees my loyalty or some shit."

"Why don't you go put some clothes on before you start ranting?" Vane raised his brows, and I only narrowed my eyes as he let me go. Dropping to the deck, I went to the captain's quarters to get my clothes.

When I was pulling my boots on, one of Vane's men drug in Billy as he was tied up and sat him next to the desk. The man left without a word, and Billy was glaring at me.

"You just sat there." He said lowly as I grabbed my other boot. "You just sat there and didn't do anything to help us."

"Why the fuck would I help you lot? Your captain kidnapped me, kept me against my will, and none of you seem to recall that _you're not my god damned crew._ " I replied. "I was the cook for the Petrel, then the cook for Captain Vane's crew, never was I anything to Captain Flint." Pushing my hair over my shoulder, the beads and shells in my braids clacked together as I looked at the man larger than even Vane. "So don't go thinking I betrayed you all, I was never a part of you lot." And he went quiet.

Just then, Vane walked in and I barely caught what he tossed to me as he walked over to Billy.

"You're the boatswain. Mr. Gates's boy, aren't you?" He asked while I felt happy to see my knives again. Strapping them on, only the ones Eleanor had were missing as was my sword. "I've got a confession to make. The Singleton affair, when Jack and I attempted to alter the vote on your ship, see Flint deposed, it was intended to induce men on your crew to defect." Vane said. "Then to recruit them ourselves. But most specifically, it was with an eye toward recruiting you." Billy said nothing still.

"We'd heard about you. Not some petty thief in it for coin. Not some coward in need of some bottle to find his courage in a fight. A proper pirate committed to our way of things. Committed to a life free of the yoke-"

"Fuck you." The other man cut him off.

"And loyal to a fault." Vane smirked. "You can see how....that....is a man we'd have wanted on our side of things." He walked closer to Billy and sat in front of him. I remained quiet, indulging myself in the sound of the captain's voice that I had missed hearing. "A man I could still use now."

"You have no fucking idea what's going on here, do you?" Bully shook his head while looking up at Vane.

"Flint stole from me and I'm making it right."

"Exactly. You hate Flint." He nodded. "I hate Flint." Billy then slightly shrugged. "But right now he's talking about how we survive what comes next. And you're talking about what you _think_ is yours. When the navy arrives, they aren't gonna give a fuck what belongs to you or what belongs to me. Because to them, there is no difference between you and me." My brows furrowed at what he was saying.

"He has you so afraid of an imagined threat."

"Nah." Billy shook his head again. "I saw it....with my own eyes. The garrison on Harbor Island. Royal Marines, a full company of them. 200 men in support. The Scarborough anchored. And a commander just waiting for the order to begin his assault against us and exterminate every last one of us. There is nothing imagined about the threat we all face, I assure you. And right now your only plan to reckon with it is to try to fight them head to head, each crew for themselves?" Billy questioned. "Right now, Flint's plan is the only plan."

There was a quiet pause before Vane softly sighed and stood to his feet. He looked ready to say something, but boat suddenly swayed and books on the shelf fell to the floor.

"Forestay!" A man outside shouted.

"Forestay, Captain!" And Vane picked up his sword on the way out as I followed.

"What's going on?"

"We lost the forestay." The lieutenant answered.

"Lost it? Fuck you mean, we lost it?" Vane asked while looking.

"Sabotage. We must have missed someone."

"Can we sail without it?"

"Not without seriously risking losing that mast."

"Drop the anchors. Repair the stay quickly."

"Okay. I'll get a team, clear the hold."

"No." Vane stopped the lieutenant. "I don't want to divert men away from the prisoners."

"We can't leave a saboteur down there." The other man put a hand on the captain's chest to make the man stop walking.

"I don't intend to." Vane drew his sword before looking at me. "Think you can provide cover?" He glanced to my blades, and I nodded.

Quietly stepping below deck, we crept past the swaying tables as I kept glancing around. My grip on my knives was firm, and I listened for any suspicious noise. Looking over my shoulder as I walked a few steps behind Vane, I glanced back when I heard him speak.

"Hello." He said lowly just before a man came from the shadows and put a knife to the captain's neck.

"Hello." Silver replied as he stood, and Vane dropped his sword. "So....what do you suppose happens next?"

"He gets a knife in his skull." I snarled, glaring at the man holding Vane and Silver seemed surprised to see me.

"Pirate vessel!" There was a shout from outside, gaining everyone's attention. "Pirate vessel! What follows is a message from the Lord Governor of the Carolina Colony. ' _I trusted the good faith of your arrival and I accepted Captain Flint as my guest in the same spirit. But I now regret to inform you that he has violated that trust in a most deceitful manner.'_ "

"What?"

" _'Therefore I've placed him under arrest. This trial and its resulting sentence will be swift, just, and final. And it will reestablish beyond any shadow of a doubt that the rule of law lives in Carolina, that the men and women of this place will not shrink from you, from any of you, from any like you, and that the death of piracy in the New World has never been nearer than today. At the conclusion of this trial, if your ship remains, I will seize or sink her.'_ " And that seemed to be the end of the message.

Vane took the chance of the man holding him being distracted to grab the knife from him while rearing his head back to strike the man. Silver went to draw his sword, but my knife pressing against his throat made him freeze in his tracks.

"Here I was, thinking we had a blossoming friendship." Silver popped off.

"Now, let me tell you what happens next." The captain spoke after making sure the other man was disarmed. "Deana, you can lower the knife now. He won't try anything." I glanced to Vane with uncertainty. "If he does....kill him."

When we walked back onto the deck, Vane sheathed his cutlass as Silver and the other man walked out ahead of us. The captain went over to Billy, said a few words, then addressed the crew.

"Nassau is strongest when she's feared. And if what promises to happen here tomorrow actually happens, a trophy made of one of her most notorious captains, she may never be feared again. So I suggest we do something about this. I suggest we....get him the Hell out of there."


	19. Fetching Flint

"What does it matter whether they hang him or not?" The lieutenant stormed into the captain's quarters while Vane was looking out a window and I was looking through Flint's books. "We came here to retrieve this ship. We've done so. Ought that not to be the end of the conversation?"

"We can say what we will about Flint, and I've said my share, but the world knows his name, they know him. And his body swinging over the harbor of this place sends a powerful message." The captain turned from the window and stepped towards his lieutenant. "No one surrenders to a dying thing. And that's exactly what we'll be if we don't act." He then plopped down into the chair at the desk. "Where are the men about it?"

"Well, those who think saving Flint's a good idea, you're taking ashore with you."

"Well, it wouldn't make much sense to take the ones who think it's a bad idea."

"No, you're leaving them with me. And what exactly do you expect me to say to them, do you think, when they ask me why we don't just turn around, leave you here....rather than attempt to fight a fight we are far from certain to win?"

"Tell them that this endeavor is in their best interests." Vane nearly growled as he stood, and I pulled a book from the shelf. "Whether they can see that or not."

"And then when they're through having their laugh, then what do you expect me to say?"

"Tell them that if this ship tries to run on a skeleton crew, they're going to get chased, they're going to get caught, and they're going to get fucking killed." I spoke up. "That should convince them." Looking over my shoulder, I looked right at the lieutenant. He didn't look pleased, but he knew that there was nothing else to say as I put the book back where I had gotten it from.

~

Dear God, this plan was ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean that Vane was a fucking madman. I very much didn't feel comfortable with what he was doing, but that man was like a stubborn bull and little to nothing got in the way of a bull when it was charging.

Slinking through the the alleys and between buildings, I snuck through the town to where the people were gathered. My job was simple enough in this, but Vane....that fucker was throwing himself into the fire with the hopes that this would work. If his men could do as instructed with success, this plan would be ingenious. If not....we were fucking screwed.

"Just do your job, focus on your part. Just do your job, focus on your part." I whispered to myself while climbing up the side of a building to get into position. The long coat I wore flapped with the breeze that went past, and I rolled over the edge of the roof. Crouching, I snuck closer to the other side, peeking over the edge of the building to see the dozens of people below with Captain Flint chained in the center of it all.

"Fucking Hell." I whispered, also seeing Mrs. Barlow in a casket with rotten vegetables being thrown at her corpse. There was what looked like a bullet wound on her forehead, telling me she had died from a gunshot to the head.

"Affidavits given by sailors on ships you attacked." The man with a wig tossed down a pile of papers held together with twine. "Testimonials of widows and orphans....rendered into that state by your actions." He held up another stack of papers before dropping them next to the first. "And these are insurance petitions for the loss or destruction of property, again caused by your hand." And the third stack went down before he waved his hand to Flint. "You stand before this court accused of wreaking untold havoc throughout the New World, of clawing at the very fabric of civilization that holds us together....with malice....and without regret." The man said while walking around Flint. "Do you dispute this?"

"Do you have any response to these allegations at all?" But Captain Flint remained quiet. "This forum is your opportunity to be heard." The man waved his hands to the men sat before Flint and the crowd. "And the world _is_ listening." The man in chains just blinked, only looking straight ahead. "Deny. Repent. No one else is going to speak on your behalf. Will you say nothing in your own defense?" The man then turned to the crowd. "You see? These crimes are so vile that even their perpetrator is struck dumb when given the chance to speak."

"I have one regret." Captain Flint spoke up. "I regret ever coming to this place with the assumption that a reconciliation could be found. That reason could be a bridge between us. Everyone is a monster to someone. Since you are so convinced that I am yours, I will be it." Flint seemed to be giving that dark look to one of the men in the forum in particular, and I assumed that was the Lord Ashe.

"Sir! Sir!" Someone shouted, and the faces in the crowd turned below. Clenching my jaw, I saw that Vane was finally here.

"What's going on?"

"Who is this man?"

"He says his name is Charles Vane, my lord."

"Charles Vane?" And the crowd began to murmur after hearing the name. "What, and you captured him?"

"He turned himself over, my lord."

"I came to offer testimony in defense of Captain Flint." Vane stated. "It is his right, is it not?"

"He was carrying this." One of the men with the captain handed over Abigail's journal.

"If you are who you say you are, why would anybody consider you a credible character witness?"

"It isn't my testimony I came to offer. It's your daughter's." And the crowd began to whisper again. Lord Ashe opened the book, checking to see the writing inside and saw that it was in his daughter's hand. A short recess was called, and Vane was taken to sit by Flint. My captain didn't fight back, but allowed the soldiers to push him into a chair as he was already chained. I saw his eyes glance from the tops of the nearby buildings, more than likely searching for me, and I smirked when he failed in spotting me.

That moron.... If I didn't want to be seen, I could make it so.

When court was brought back into session, pages from Abigail's journal were read aloud to the people and the forum.

" _'I am forced to wonder if he is simply mistaken or if his motives are something more deliberate than that. I fear the stories I carry with me are my sole comfort. From across an ocean, it is hard to know what the New World is. All I knew were the stories I was told of monsters and valiant men....'_ " The man was speaking clearly so that Abigail's words could be heard. The crowd was quiet and intently listening, but my eyes remained on Vane as I awaited the signal.

I could see Captain Flint and Vane's lips moving, but I had no clue what they were whispering to each other. When my captain looked at Flint, he then rose to his feet.

" _'I have to tell you what I know. The ship was set upon by Captain Flint.'_ " The man reading managed to say before another spoke up to Vane.

"What are you doing?"

"I wish to speak on behalf of the defendant."

"You have not been recognized. Sit back and you'll-"

"These men convinced you that they speak for you." Vane ignored the man, turning to the crowd to speak instead.

"How dare you?!"

"That the power you've given them is used in your interests." He continued.

"I will not have the order in my court usurped by your foul desires." The judge tried again to get Vane to shut up.

"That the prisoner before you is your enemy and they your friends. For those of you who live to see tomorrow....know that you had a choice to see the truth and you let yourselves be convinced otherwise."

"That's enough! Bailiffs, remove him!" The judge angrily waved his finger as Vane raised his cuffed hands to signal to me since he had no clue where I was. Shrugging the coat off, I let it fall to the roof I was on and rose to my feet while raising my arms for the men at the cannons to see the wings on my back. "I said remove him from the dais!" Vane saw me as did a few others below, and he lowered his fists.

Without looking behind me, I dropped my arms and heard the cannons only a second or two after. From on top of the roof, my wings were to relay Vane's signal to the cannons and as the first one struck in the crowd, Vane and Flint made their move against the guards. Pulling knives from the belts criss-crossing my body, I impaled the first blade into the skull of a soldier going at my captain from behind while the second killed the guard Flint was fighting.

Hopping onto the awning of the building, I then jumped down from there, rolling to cushion the fall as I drew two more of my knives and entered the fight. Cannonballs were crashing down, sending up clouds of dirt, dust, and chunks of earth as the people were screaming and running for cover. If the people weren't hit by a cannonball, they were flooding into the other streets as they were making a run for it. Soldiers were trying to recapture Vane and Flint while also protecting the members of the court, and many were failing as the two captains were using their cuffs to their advantage.

Slitting the throat of a soldier after dodging his cutlass, he went down while gargling on his own blood and I had to duck as a pistol was aimed at me. The shot barely missed, and I threw a knife, hitting the man in the chest. Bricks from the buildings around us were falling to the ground when the cannon fire struck them, and it finally became clear enough to run as Vane was getting to Flint.

The three of us made our way through the streets, ducking under falling debris and fighting our way through soldiers. Guns were firing, and the captains armed themselves with pistols and swords from the fallen soldiers, using them against the others. There were a few lucky moments when cannons took care of the soldiers in our way, and the men at the wall were razing the town.

Flint let loose some slaves to buy us time as we ran to the jetty and jumped into a longboat that was there. Vane tossed me the pistol he had as he grabbed the oars, and Captain Flint freed the small boat of the jetty before pushing off. I fired the gun at the first soldier raising his, and the man fell face first into the water. We were out a distance before the other soldiers arrived, but I had no shots nor powder to refill the pistol.

Tossing it down, I quickly ducked when shots were fired at the launch and bullets skimmed the sides as the men were rowing as fast and as hard as they could. There was a captain on each side manning an oar, and they kept their heads low so as not to be shot.

Dark, grey smoke acted as a screen behind us and if we could at least reach it, the cannons being readied would have no idea where to fire until it was too late and we were out of range. However, instead of that happening or a cannonball sinking our ship, a loud whistle filled the air and cannons fired from behind us where the Man of War could assumed to be.

Looking up to see the men that had been firing at us scrambling to safety or getting hit by the cannons, I felt my tense shoulders relax. Sighing as I sat there, I leaned my head back to look at the two rowing.

"You try something as insane as that again and I will personally kill you. The both of you." Vane only chuckled at me while Flint raised a brow at the other captain. Looking back ahead, I saw the smoke going past over us before we reached the ship. Climbing up, a pistol was raised at Vane as soon as we stood on the deck....

"A bit of turmoil since you left." Billy told Flint, and the concern that the man could pull the trigger before I could throw a knife kept me from trying. "But it's under control now."

"Release those men."

"What?" Billy looked at his captain with disbelief. "Captain-"

"I know what happened and I don't care. I'll not hold pirates prisoner on this ship....not after today." Billy hesitantly lowered his gun as Flint looked to Vane. "Keep your men in line." He then glanced to me. "And your Black Angel." My captain nodded before Flint walked away and started calling out orders. "Take us back towards the sandbar. Southwest corner of the bay. We'll start from there. Ready the guns! Full complement."

"What's the target, Captain?"

"Whatever's left." Captain Flint replied as his cuffs were taken off. Vane was next to get his off while the cannons were being loaded, and Charles Town already had smoke and fire rising up from it. When the cannons were fired, the town and the ships in the bay were struck and brought down. Buildings fell as smoke swirled into the sky, and the town was destroyed before Flint decided it was enough.


	20. Gold In The Fort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

The repetitive banging of the desk hitting the floor filled the captain's quarters as the boat was rocking on the waves of the sea. I could also hear the clacking of the beads in my hair as my red locks swayed. Well, there was that, and the panting and moaning as I dug my nails into the desk that Vane had me bent over.

His hands were planted firmly on the desk on either side of me as his hips were thrusting his cock in and out of me. There was some drool at the corners of my mouth as I moaned, and my knees were too weak to even hold me up, so I thanked my lucky stars for the desk. The blue eyed man behind me was grunting and groaning, thrusting until he found the spot that made me scream his name.

He aimed for there over and over again, making my body flinch and shudder as my toes were curling in my boots. God, did it feel wonderful....

Vane took one of his hands from the desk, fisting it in my hair as he tugged and began to nip and lick at my neck and shoulder. His facial hair scraped over my skin and his hair tickled as it fell over his shoulders, but how his husky voice uttered my name nearly made me cum.

"Deana~" He rumbled like a storm, sounding like a growl or purr. My back arched into the desk from the pleasure racking my body, and Vane picked up tempo as he was nearing his end as well.

We weren't at open waters, though, we were actually just anchored in Nassau's bay. I had come to the ship to get away from the island and read for a bit, and Vane had come with out of boredom and to have a break from the bustle of town and his crew. However, realizing that me reading left him with absolutely nothing to do, he decided to toss my book just when it was getting good and decided to give us both something to do instead.

It had been a while since the incident in Charles Town, and Jack had managed to get the Urca de Lima gold with Bonny and his crew when Flint and his believed it to be gone. After retrieving it, they, along with Max, used it to start a new way of things in Nassau with Eleanor gone as well. She had apparently been caught by the English and was awaiting trial, but that was all I heard on the matter.

The fort was still in need of repair with the Urca gold hidden in its bowels, but hey, like I gave a fuck about anything at the moment with the leonine man pounding into me from behind. Nassau could be going up into flames right now and I wouldn't even notice.

~

"Is it her?" Captain Vane questioned while holding out his hand for a glass.

"It's her. Right where she's supposed to be." And a spyglass was placed onto Vane's palm.

"Bring us alongside."

"Spread your sheets! Stand ready with grapples!"

"Spread the sheets!" Someone else on the ship shouted as the captain raised the glass to his eye to look at the ship we were chasing. "Ready the grapples!"

"Are his men jumping ship?" The quartermaster questioned and I narrowed my eyes. Why would they jump ship in the middle of open waters? Hurrying to the bow, I shielded my eyes from the sun to look.

"They aren't his men." Vane stated, and I could see bodies like specks from the distance falling into the water. "They're his cargo." I tensed when I heard that, knowing well that meant this ship was transporting slaves and how my captain felt about that issue. "When Jack asked me to hunt her, he said he was hauling timber. He said the supplies were badly needed for fort repairs. Funny.... I don't remember him saying anything about slaves."

_'Jack, you mangy rat. You better have a damn good excuse for this.'_ I thought as launches were deployed to rescue the slaves from the water.

Catching up to the ship didn't take long, nor did invading it. The sounds of shots being fired filled the air along with clashing swords, and Vane made straight for the captain's quarters. He had this look in his eyes, so I didn't dare interfere and let him go while I was busy pulling my knives out of the dead sailors they had struck.

~

Vane was like a storm raging up from the beach to Jack's new establishment in Nassau, and he didn't even say a word the entire way back from the latest prize other than the orders he barked to the crew. However, as soon as he stepped into that building full of women and pirates his voice boomed like thunder, silencing every single person in there.

"Jack!" And the former quartermaster had this 'oh, shit' look on his face. Okay....this may not end well.

"How about we go to my office?" Jack pointed up the stairs after clearing his throat. I saw my captain's jaw clench, and he made his way to the stairs with me quietly following behind him. Bonny was also there, and she seemed a bit confused as we exchanged looks. ....Did she not know about the ship?

"Please, let me explain." Jack said once he was in his office.

"What is there to explain?" Vane snapped at the scrawny man. "You couldn't figure out how to repair the fort, so you lured me into capturing a ship full of slaves to do the job." He placed his fists onto the desks while Jack sat on the other side.

"It was the first solid lead on a slaver we'd had in weeks. I needed someone who I could be certain would win her." Rackham spoke calmly.

"So you lied to me about it." The larger male said lowly and Jack couldn't even look at him. "What the _fuck_ made you think I would just hand them over to you, _knowing_ what you know of _me_?" Jack finally faced his former captain and replied while raising one of his hands over the desk.

"The three of us stood in this room....you, Flint, and I....and we agreed that the fort's restoration was critical to Nassau's security."

"We agreed you would _hire_ men to restore it."

"I tried that!"

"You're going to need to try harder!" Vane rose his voice.

"How?!" Jack questioned. "I offer the men exorbitant wages to do the work. Do you know what they say? 'You can afford more. We want double that.' All right, double it, it's a deal. Fuck it. You know what they say then? 'You can't tell us what to do. We're free men. We'll work when we please.' Would you like to take a guess how _that_ is going? It's five different crews, it's hundreds of men, untold thousands in wages, and I swear to God, I think that hole in the wall is bigger now than when we started." The man ranted before plopping down into his seat.

"I stood between you and him, Jack. When Flint was ready to wage war against you over the gold, I was the one who said you would manage it as well as anyone could. For the good of this place, _I_ was the one who said you could be trusted." Vane nearly growled.

"Why?" Jack asked as I glanced out the window to the street below. "Why did you stand behind me in that moment? I'll tell you why. Because you and I had been through enough shit for you to know that I would do the same for you, that I _have_ done the same for you, and would again without hesitation." Jack rose to his feet while placing his hands onto the desk. "I made a commitment to you, with you, to restore this place to make it strong again. I see no other way to have it done. And I will have it done. I will move heaven and earth to have it done because I refuse to let you down." His voice got lower towards the end, and Bonny just stood a few feet away with her arms crossed as she silently watched the two shouting at one another.

Vane said nothing and turned, sitting on the edge of the desk while having a serious look on his face. This was asking a lot from him, but Jack had to be at his wit's end to even consider asking Vane to hand over those slaves....

"I knew this would be difficult for you, so I kept it from you. Please know that I meant no slight by it. No lack of respect or friendship. It's quite the opposite." Jack stated with a soft tone.

~

Vane stood there, watching the slaves work while his jaw remained clenched. There was something about how he looked at them that I knew where his mind was. Sighing, I felt a tightness in my chest while seeing him that way.

"Charles." I said his name gently while placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at me, and dare I say it, he looked on the verge of breaking.... Vane cast his eyes to the ground and put a hand over mine, giving it a soft squeeze as if to silently tell me he was okay.

The captain turned away and began to walk off, and I sighed again but did not follow him. There was no telling exactly how hard this was for him, so I didn't want to push him any further past his comfort zone.

Placing my hands onto my hips, I glanced out to the many people working, hauling materials back and forth while trying to repair the fort. There were a few others out there, making sure things were running smoothly and that the slaves were doing what they were supposed to.

I vaguely remembered the first time I saw a slave.... I was nine, it was a hot summer, and I was looking for work anywhere I could get it. It was at a baker's shop that it happened. I had been talking to the owner, trying to get a job bringing grain and other things to the shop when a white man and his slave walked in.

Of course I didn't know that's what he was at first. I didn't know until the other man had accidentally dropped a coin and was beaten right there in the shop for it. It felt vile to see that man treated less than a dog, but there was nothing I could do, and I learned the societal difference between those that were free and those that were not.

I simply left the bakery then, not even bothering with the job anymore and never returned to that shop again.

Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and went deeper into the fort. The sounds of work soon faded the further I went, and I soon found myself among the piles of Urca gold. It all glittered in the torch light like the precious metal it was.

My head raised when I heard voices, and I glanced over to see Jack and Vane sitting together among the boxes.

"You don't have to be here, you know. I have made it clear to all involved they are to be treated fairly." Jack stated lowly.

"You think if you refrain from beating them, it's any better?" My captain questioned while having his elbows on his knees. His hands were together as he glanced at Jack. "It isn't the violence." Vane spoke softly. "It isn't the labor....or the hunger....or the heat or the chains. You know what those men fear right now? It's the unknown." He uttered. "Lash that comes from nowhere for reasons never explained. A visit from the taskmaster in the dead of night. But I remember that fear."

Jack looked at the other captain, and I remained rooted to where I stood. I couldn't explain it, but I couldn't just leave, my feet were seemingly stuck to the ground as I listened.

"Right now, I feel it returning. What we're doing here, sitting on Spain's gold on England's island, demands a response. What that response will be, what form it will take, what face it will wear....by the time we do know it, there will be no time to prepare for the blow that follows."

~

"Charles...." I spoke softly, finding myself unable to sleep as my head swam with various thoughts while staring at the back of the captain's head.

"What, Deana?" His low voice sounded as if he too was having trouble sleeping.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I mumbled, watching the muscles in his back slightly twitch. It was dark, but the moonlight was enough to see the larger man in front of me.

"I'll be fine." Vane quietly replied.

"Roll this way." I told him while shifting on our bed. He rolled to his other side so that he was facing me and he had some confusion showing on his face.

"What?" Ignoring his questioning look, I wrapped my arms around his head while resting my chin on the top of his skull. I could feel his breath on my neck and chest, and he hesitated before his large arms snaked around my body and pulled me closer. I was glad he accepted the comfort I offered, and I simply held him while hearing him softly breathe.

Using one of my hands to run my fingers through his hair, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the night.


	21. Mentor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

Walking through the market, I was randomly wandering while keeping an eye out for Vane. He had left before I woke and had left some fruit in a bowl for breakfast, so I at least knew he hadn't been kidnapped or something.

Walking around the goat being lead by a rope, I could smell the fish being scaled at one stall and chicken being cooked at another. I had noticed a while back, but the people of Nassau had started looking at me like they did Vane when I had first arrived here. I had started out as some random cook taken by the Ranger crew, but now I was known as the Black Angel.

There was still speculation on whether I really was human or not, but my name was spreading along with the moniker rather than the moniker alone. There was a sense of comfort in that. Maybe because I was no longer that dirty child that no one knew and that was easily forgotten, or maybe simply because people would remember me for a time if I were to suddenly disappear. Whatever it was it made me feel a little better.

When I finally spotted Vane I changed the direction I was headed in and went over to him. He was talking to another man that was taller and had long, dark hair, and I had never seen him before so I had no clue who he was.

"Hey, Char- For fuck's sake!" I quickly reeled back as the two men looked down at me with raised brows. "Where the fuck have you been all day? You smell like sweaty _ass_!" I pointed towards the sky above, ignoring the look Vane was giving me. "You're getting a bath or you're sleeping outside tonight."

"Captain Teach, this is Deana." Vane didn't even look at the other man as he was staring at me with this odd expression on his face.

"Ah, I've heard many stories of you, Miss Blake." The older man gently smiled while nodding his head. "And I guess it would make sense the Black Angel be one of the few brave enough to talk that way to Charles." He chuckled. "However....is he not your captain?"

"He is. ....Why?" My brows furrowed with confusion.

"He asks because you just threatened to make me sleep outside." Vane shifted his weight on his feet while crossing his arms.

"Oh....right, I guess I see how that could confuse him." I then turned to Captain Teach. "So, you sort of know who I am. Mind telling me who you are?" And his eyebrows rose.

"Haven't heard of me, have you?" He glanced to my captain before looking back to me and holding out his hand. "Captain Edward Teach, I was Charles' mentor, I guess you could say." Shaking his hand to be polite, I got a sly grin.

"Is that so? Tell me, was he always such a hard ass?" I heard Vane simply sigh as Teach chuckled.

~

"Ah, to a momentous return." Jack poured three glasses of alcohol for each of them while I leaned on the wall with my arms crossed. "A man of your ability and experience will be a most welcome addition to our ranks." He set a glass in front of Teach.

"Jack....Rackham."

"....That's my name."

"You were the scrawny one....who was trying so desperately to join Charles' first crew. Flint I can understand, but this is your third partner?" Teach looked flatly at Vane.

"Jack took the Urca de Lima prize. Transported it, secured it. He's been employing it to provide for Nassau's defense." My captain stated.

"Nassau, as I'm sure you recall, lacks the will to form an identity. It is and always has been fragments of an idea, and without identity.... An organized defense? Near impossible. The stipends....create an obligation to follow one command in the event of a threat to the island." Jack sat down and I quietly listened. "Captain Flint, as the island's most able naval tactician, would command our forces on the water, and Charles would captain the militia to defend the land."

"Why?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"Why are you so determined to defend Nassau?"

"Because Henry Avery set his camp here and said, 'This is a place for free men.' And because you sailed from here and made this place feared. Because Henry Jennings and Benjamin Hornigold and Sam Bellamy gave Nassau life."

"And you think your name belongs on that list." Teach stated. "Yes, I understand."

"Captain Teach?" Another man came up to the table with someone following behind him. "We hear you're taking on new men. We'd like to join you." There was a quiet pause, and I could sort of see where this was headed.... "If you please." Teach scoffed before leaning back in his chair.

"When I was a young man in this place, it was a settled notion that in order to join a crew of any repute, one had to prove his worth. Two men, evenly matched, bare fists, the only measure of difference between them being the measure of their will. Now all a man need do is say 'please.'"

"....You want us to fight each other for this?" One of the men standing asked, and Teach said nothing before they went outside to the street.

"I had such hopes for this place when I heard the Guthries had gone. Thought it had a chance to return to what it once was, return to that state. But now I see there's no hope of that anymore. You have taken away the one thing that made Nassau what it was. You have given her prosperity. Strife is good. Strife makes a man strong. For is a man is capable of confronting death daily, functioning in the face of it, there's no telling what else that man can do, and a man whose limits cannot be known is a very hard man to defeat in battle." Teach glanced down at the table.

"Now I look around me and I see crews filled with men who've only ever won a prize through surrender. I see captains who ought to have been deposed months ago keep their office because their men are comfortable. I see decay....everywhere. Now, I returned to go on the account as I know it. I returned because in this place I believed I could find the men necessary to do so and, in particular one man I thought worthy of standing alongside me at the head of a terrible fleet." Teach pointedly looked at Vane. "I wonder if he's still here."

One of the men that had gone outside to fight returned, a bit bloodied and bruised and with a broken nose, but he was still victorious. Teach simply rose from his chair, pat the man on the shoulder, then left with his new crew member tailing behind him.

Simply watching the captain leave, I saw a familiarity in the way he moved and spoke. If Teach were truly Vane's mentor, then I'm sure Vane no doubt learned more than simply swordfighting and stealing a prize from that man.

~

"You almost done?" I questioned while bringing in a towel to Vane. He looked up at me from the tub of hot water, giving me 'that' face.

"I can still hardly believe you are making me bathe."

"Yeah, well, you're not smelling like you did 'and' sleeping in our bed. It would stink as bad as you." I popped off. Vane rolled his eyes while sighing through his nose before splashing some water onto his face. He slicked his wet hair back before looking back at me and waving his hand.

"I'm done."

"You wash everything?" I asked, seeing his eyebrow quirk up.

"Are you my mother?" He retorted.

"Of course not, I'm just asking." Putting one of my hands onto my hip, I handed him the towel. Vane rose to his feet in the tub, having no modesty as he used the towel to dry his hair and left the rest of his body bare. Watching the water drip down over his tanned skin made me bite my lower lip.

Fuck, he was physical perfection. Those arms, those abs, those thighs, 'that cock'. Not to mention that even his face was beautiful and his voice was sinfully pleasant.

Quickly looking back up as Vane lowered the towel from his head to dry the rest of himself as he stepped out of the tub, I tried to act as if I hadn't just been looking at him with such lustful eyes.

"Deana....your face is red." Vane nonchalantly stated while walking over to his clothes tossed over a chair.

"You're imagining things, must be a trick of the fire." I cleared my throat while crossing my arms. The captain paused, looked over his shoulder, then got that smirk on his lips like he knew _exactly_ what I was thinking.

"I must be then." He dropped the towel onto the floor and went to pick up his shirt, the muscles in his back moving as he did, and I rolled my eyes. _'Fuck it.'_ I thought while quickly and quietly walking over to him.

"Charles~" I purred while smirking and letting my arms snake around his waist. "Why are you gonna give me that look and not even do anything?" My fingers brushed over the muscles on his torso as he stood up straight.

"To see what you'd do." Vane answered, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. Letting out a huff of air, I ran my hands down his body to his groin. "You're acting quite bold now aren't you?" I nipped at his shoulder blade as a reply while wrapping my fingers around his dick.

He simply let me, allowing me to tease him as he was getting an erection and I could feel him getting hard in my hands. Staring at his back, I began to stroke my hand over his shaft and when my fingers delicately touched just beneath the head his hips unconsciously bucked.

"Sit down." I lowly spoke, and Vane dumped out the chair with his clothes and plopped down. He seemed to be expecting me to strip and hop onto his lap, so seeing his eyes slightly widen with surprise when I dropped to my knees instead was rather amusing. Spreading his legs, I situated myself between his thighs while looking up at him.

This wasn't the first time I had done this with him, so he was more likely surprised because he hadn't been expecting it. Sliding my palms up his thighs, I licked the tip of his hard cock and I caught how his hands twitched. Dragging my tongue from the base of the shaft to the head, I used one of my hands to stroke his manhood as I gently sucked on the head of his dick.

Vane bit his bottom lip as his chest rumbled with a low groan, and I smirked while flicking my tongue. I continued to tease him as I drug my nails over his hip. The captain growled, grabbing a fist full of my hair and pulled me away, making me look up at him instead.

"Deana...." His voice was husky with arousal. "you're testing my patience." Oh, and I was. I wanted to see just how much I could simply play with him before he was giving me the look he was now. With Vane's fingers still tangled in my locks, I slid more that just the tip of his dick into my mouth. My hand covered what was left, and that long groan he gave as his grip on me tightened turned me on even more.

Those pale eyes were glued to me, watching everything I did and he licked his lips like a starving animal at me. I knew that once I was done with this, he was going to ravage me. Vane watched as my drool dripped down his length and made it easier for my hand to work on the lower part of his cock.

Running my tongue over his pulse, I continued to suck and lick as his other hand came to rest on my head as well. I liked hearing him moan and curse out of pleasure and I could feel my excitement dampening between my legs. I felt hot and horny, anticipating the fucking that would follow this.

Vane's hips bucked a few times as I felt his cock twitching before hot cum was spilling into my mouth as my captain moaned. Popping off of Vane, I saw how his pupils were blown with lust and he ran his thumb over my wet, bottom lip.

"That was very good, angel." He purred while holding my chin. "Now strip."


	22. It's Begun

"A fleet. Eight ships, soldiers, 700, all led by a man claiming to have been appointed governor of this place and empowered to take it back by force if necessary." Max explained. "News of this is spreading quickly."

"How long until they arrive here?" Vane questioned.

"Twelve days, approximately." The people in the room shifted as even more tension filled the air.

"How many batteries have been repaired on the fort walls?" Bonny asked.

"Two. Two guns each." I stated as my captain began to pace like a lion in a cage.

"The the fifth and sixth guns are going up tomorrow." Jack added.

"Did he say how the fleet was compromised? How many Men of War?"

"He didn't say." Max crossed her arms.

"Well, how many guns did he say?"

"He didn't say." She repeated.

"Well, whatever it is, six guns ain't gonna be enough to stop it." Bonny glanced over her shoulder as I bit my bottom lip.

"If they were supporting a fleet in the bay. A line in defense of the harbor mouth." Vane placed his hands onto the table.

"Yeah, but how many of those crews can we honestly expect to participate in that fight? A third? Half, if we're lucky?"

"What if it were all of them?" Jack raised a paper in his hand.

"All the crews?"

"All that matter, yes." The scrawny man came over and unfolded the paper onto the table. "Burgess. Woodall. The Cockrams."

"Have you met those people? They're not exactly a....rally around a flag sort. How could you possibly convince them _all_ to join a fight like this?"

"Because if they all join, there may be no fight."

"A show of force." My captain nodded.

"A _massive_ show of force." Jack stated. "A thousand men, a dozen ships, _plus_ a Man-of-War, all organized for battle." He began to move the random objects on the map, using them to symbolize the positions of the ships.

"Organized under who? Flint is still nowhere to be found."

"He'll return in time, and if he doesn't, I'll do it." I looked to Jack when he said that, and I felt my brows momentarily furrow. "Look me in the face and tell me you doubt it." He said to the man next to him. "If we all unite, the fight that we will present to our invaders will appear so costly and painful, they will choose to walk away from it rather than risk humiliation at our hands. Increase their fear of defeat, and we decrease the cost of our victory. I believe it is to be done. Tell me you do, too, and we'll make it happen together."

"Jack...." I spoke up while crossing my arms. "You're a genius in your own right, but the men may not follow you as they would Flint."

"What?" He looked across the table at me.

"The men wouldn't even do basic work on the fort when you _paid_ them to do it, and they all knew the importance of the fort to this island's safety. Why would they decide to stand under you now? When money isn't even involved?" There was a silent pause as Jack gave me a very thought filled look.

"They'll do it....or we'll all lose everything."

~

"You want us to combine our forces and engage a fleet of half a dozen ships, and you want us to do it with six guns supporting us from the fort so that we can frighten the British Navy into retreat?" The old captain questioned.

"We understand there are _eight_ ships, not six. Yes, to the rest of it."

"Jesus Christ, Jack."

"Uh, if I may. It stands to reason that if we threaten to defend this place, then we need to have a plan to follow through. If the bluff is called, then we-"

"There is no bluff here." Vane cut the man off. "If we can discourage them from engaging, so much the better. If not, we fight to protect the island."

"With who in command of the fleet? No one's seen Flint in weeks."

"When he hears news of the invasion, he'll return."

"But if he doesn't?" The old captain angrily rose to his feet. "No man has his skill in leading a fleet in battle. Not even you."

"What the fuck's the matter with you people? We haven't done enough for you?" My captain stood while furrowing his brows. "You turn your back on us now?"

"You can see his point, though." Another captain waved his hand. "If no Flint, the strategy involved in coordinating this fleet will be-"

"That's enough." Jack cut in, having his arms crossed. "You, sit down." He gestured with his head to the old man standing. "And the rest of you, please listen closely. I never approved of Eleanor Guthrie's harsh mothering of this place. I believe my record on that issue is in good order. That said," He lowered his arms. "if you're going to behave like children, then I will be your daddy. When this meeting breaks, I will address the street, your crews, and I _will_ persuade them that a defense of this place isn't just desirable," Jack began to walk around. "it is critical to their ability to call themselves men."

"I'll have them in such a state that any captain in this room who speaks in opposition to this plan....opposition borne from what? A fear of losing. Will not long call himself captain. Hmm? I'm committed to this. Charles is committed to this." He pointed to Vane. "And the bloody Black Angel is committed to this." His finger swung in my direction. "Captain Flint will be returning soon. He is most committed to this." Jack leaned in the edge of the table. And if that weren't enough, you will recall that Anne and I have put thousands of pieces into your pockets in contemplation of the day when your cooperation would be called upon to defend this place. That day is today, and you 'will' answer the call." He rose his voice.

"Flint is dead." Teach declared as he walked into the room. News was in St. Kitts. Went down in a storm, pursued by the leading edge of this invasion force, the pirate hunter by the name of Benjamin Hornigold." The other captain began to whisper to each other like gossiping girls in the street. "Before anyone commits to anything," Teach continued. "just know that you'll be doing it without Flint." There was a small pause before he continued. "But I may be able to offer an alternative."

Not much else was said, but Teach took Vane off to another room to speak in private. I was left to pace back and forth in a hall with my brows furrowed as I thought. A war was on the horizons and it was unknown whether we'd have to fight in it or if the storm would pass on upon seeing the pirate fleet in the bay....

Not even a year ago I was sailing without worry, cooking and enjoying a shanty or two. But now....now I was a pirate, a member of Charles Vane's crew, and on the cusp of battle with England and however many armed men they had with them. Things were changing again, drastically, and I could taste a new age in the air. It'd be a miracle if we were to win if England decided to barrel through our show of force....

"Deana...." I looked over my shoulder, seeing Vane standing there with a look more serious than usual on his face. "I need to speak with you." Those blue eyes looked directly into mine and I felt an anxiety at what he might say.

"I'm listening." I stated, turning to fully face him. The tall male shifted on his feet, rubbing his forehead as he placed a hand on his hip.

"Once all of.... _this_ is over," He began, speaking lowly while looking at me once again. "I'll be leaving. With Teach."

"....Leaving?" I mumbled.

"I want you to come with me." Vane stated, sincerity in his voice as he continued. "I know you have connections here, it won't be goodbye forever, but I would like for you to come with me when I go with Teach." I could tell he was choosing his words carefully, and he was acting a bit....nervous. Did he think I would say no? "If....if you decide to stay, I understand. There's a lot of potential to this island. A-"

"Charles," I raised my hand to stop him. "I'll go." Speaking softly, I calmly walked over to him. "Without you, this place is rather....dull." I chuckled, but stopped when Vane placed a hand onto my cheek. The man said nothing, and just looked down at me while gently rubbing his thumb over my cheek.

Never had a man looked at me the way Vane was now....

Never had a man touched me as tenderly either.

~

Waiting behind the walls of the fort, we watched as Hornigold addresses those on the beach of Nassau. He read aloud from a long cut of parchment, no doubt a declaration of whoever he worked for, but I couldn't hear a word from how far away they were. I could only see his mouth moving through the spyglass in my hands, and I could only make out a few words here and there from the movement of his lips.

"What the fuck's he doing?" Jack whispered, seeing one of the old captains from the crowd hand over his pistol and step forward. My jaw clenched, seeing him shake Hornigold's hand. Then slowly, one by one, the other men joined them. Putting down their guns, they left our ranks and joined the enemy. _'Fucking cowards.'_ I thought bitterly, watching more and more switch sides, throwing away their weak loyalty to their brothers.


	23. Escape Nassau

There was continuous pounding on the fort gate followed by a man shouting. He was ranting about bounties and trying to get Jack to let he and his men outside in.

"10,000 pounds they're paying for Vane's head, Jack! It's just as much for the sea witch, too! Now, I know you ain't got no need for the money, but for fuck's sake, don't be greedy. You and I have known each other for years. It's the least you could do for a friend."

"Who is he?" Vane furrowed his brows while looking to Jack who shrugged in reply.

"Look, sooner or later, there's gonna be a 100 more men out here and this ain't gonna be your decision anymore." The man out there continued.

"Open it." Jack got to his feet and walked to the doors, calmly drawing his pistol. I saw a flash of a cocky smirk on the man's face outside, but then Jack blew it off when he fired the gun between the other man's eyes. The gates closed, and the scrawny man lumbered back.

"You recognize him?"

"What the fuck Jack!" The men outside began banging on the doors again.

"Paul something or other."

"Come on, Jack. Let us in."

"Why just you two?" Bonny questioned. "Island full of murdering, thieving fucks and you two are the only ones they can't forgive? How does that make any sense?"

"I don't know." Vane answered. "But whatever the reason, the men behind that door will soon be joined by hundreds more seeking the bounty. In an hour-"

"We'll be besieged." Jack finished.

"The men have cast their lots." The man that walked over sighed. "They are resolved that you convince Captain Vane and Deana to depart the fort. They believe that turning them over might convince the British commander to allow them to keep the fort _and_ the gold." I shot a glare to the huddled men, and they quickly turned their backs.

"Safe to say the fight to defend Nassau is off to an inauspicious beginning." Jack said.

"Teach is still on the bay. There may yet be a way to salvage some defense."

"It's over." Jack stated. "It's over. Now all that remains is that we escape this place and survive."

"All the doors are covered by men seeking the bounty. And I have to imagine the tunnel exits are being watched as well, given Hornigold's familiarity with them."

"Then I suggest we manufacture a new exit."

~

"Did you do it?" Bonny whispered.

"Yeah. Fuse is lit. In a few minutes, that wall is going to be a _lot_ shorter."

"Finding it hard to believe there is near enough material in that magazine to cause the sort of damage you seem to think it will." Vane spoke with skepticism.

"Believe it."

"I've lost years of my life these last months trying to rebuild this place. I'll be goddamned if the new governor is going to inherit the fruits of all that labor. Not whole, at any rate." Jack replied. "Now, when it happens, we should have a clear path over the rubble. We'll cover your escape to the jetty. It's not going to be easy. The whole island is seeking that bounty."

"....You plan to stay?" I rose a brow, glancing between Jack and Anne.

"Teach respects Charles. You'll both sail with him without looking over your shoulders the whole time wondering whether he's gonna back someone else to take your place. But me? I have no interest in living as a target of his."

"Jack, you know there's no way I'd ever let that happen." Vane gave his former quartermaster a look.

"Nor would I be a ward of yours. I've made something for myself here. I'll make it again somehow. But I-I've come too far to go back."

"You'll take the pardon, I presume."

"Who knows? I haven't got that far yet. But wherever we land, Anne and I will be taken care of."

"Taken care of? How?" There was a pause. "You set aside some of the gold?"

"She did." Jack gestured his head towards Bonny.

"How much?"

"Quit fucking around. Put them out." Someone shouted.

"Right, just a moment. Fucking never liked you." Jack said the last part quietly.

"What?"

"I was just gonna say, 'I'll see you soon,' but that would probably be a lie, wouldn't it?"

"Probably." Vane replied before the men shook hands and hugged.

"Godspeed, Charles."

"Fuck you, Jack." And they smiled.

"And Deana, it was a nightmare having you here. Don't ever return." There was a joking tone in the man's voice as I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, shut it, you scraggly alley cat." My attention was then taken by Anne as she grabbed my hand. Looking down as she placed one of her old daggers in my hand, there was an odd look in her eyes.

"Forget me and I'll fucking slit your throat, you filthy cook."

"Quite a lovely way of saying you'll miss me, ain't it? Almost brings a tear to my eye." And just as I said that, a loud explosion shook the air.

~

Walking through the stalls on the beach, the men eyed us as we passed. Those that had their hands on their weapons did nothing, and instead dropped their arms to their sides and took a step back. Even in groups much outnumbering us, they wanted no quarrel. They were smart enough to know their chances against the esteemed Captain Vane, and the sight of me armed to the teeth with blades made them even turn their gaze away.

However, just before reaching the jetty, there were some idiots willing to risk it all for the bounty. They drew their swords and Vane took one down with his pistol before clashing with another while wielding his cutlass. More came to fight, and I unsheathed my own sword to block a blade bearing down on me.

Swinging my cutlass in my right hand, I used my left to quickly throw my knives that took men down with more reliance then a pistol. I heard more gunfire and clashing metal and I stole blades from the fallen to save my own arsenal.

It was all over rather quickly, not even lasting two minutes. It was quiet after the last man fell, and I finally noticed Teach before I began to gather my knives from the dead.

~

"Can we slip through the east channel when the tide rises?" Vane questioned as we stood aboard Captain Teach's ship.

"They've maneuvered a frigate around the Hog. They'd rake any shit that emerged on the other side."

"Don't think there's any way we can challenge that blockade directly, do you?"

"Not exactly. We're working on something, though, to even the odds a bit. But there's something else that you should know first." Teach glanced to Vane.

"What?"

"Is she on deck?" The other captain spoke to the bearded man with the spyglass.

"Yes, sir." The man handed over the glass.

"There's good reason, it would seem, that you were the only ones to whom they refused a pardon. The Delcia, quarterdeck." Teach passed the spyglass to Vane. My captain looked, his brows further furrowing as he lowered the glass to look at his former mentor.

"What is it?" I asked out of curiosity, and Vane just handed the spyglass to me so that I could look for myself. Glancing through it, I saw a head of bright, blonde hair moving across the ship. My jaw clenched, and I felt a spark of aggression deep in my belly. "Fucking Hell." I mumbled, watching Eleanor Guthrie strut freely among the men.

~

"It's different." I glanced up, seeing Teach walking up beside me.

"What is?" I asked, returning my gaze to the boats on the water.

"Charles. How he speaks....how he acts....how he feels." My brows furrowed in confusion as the older man spoke. "He has a pride he did not have before. A strength he lacked the last time I saw him, and the last time I saw him he was an utter fool lost to love."

"He's grown since then. I believe he said it was, what, eight years since then? That's a long time for someone to stay the same as you remembered."

"That, or he found a reason to change." Teach leaned on the rail next to me. "I may not have been _here_ but I kept up with him. I know that he was still a fool even after that she-devil left him, and I know that he recently underwent a growth for the better. Tell me, how was Charles when you two first met?"

"Amused." I replied flatly. "I had given him more of a fight than he expected." Teach chuckled.

"Anything else?" And I remembered how Vane proudly walked the streets of Nassau. His eyes forward and bright, his head held high, and how those around him feared and revered him.

"....He was like a king." I said lowly. "Like a king just missing a crown."

"And now?"

"What are you trying to get at here?" I sharpened my gaze at Teach rather than answering him.

"What I'm getting at is you two have an incredibly strong bond. it seems. He's different because of you. That boy has abandoned anything to do with Eleanor and has chosen to be solely with you. He's become a man."

"....You sound like you're his father."

"Well, I'd be the closest thing he's had to a proper father, so no surprise I don't sound like it when I praise him. But my point is this," The captain gazed down at me. "he's becoming quite a man for you. Can you do the same for him?" I knew this was supposed to be a very serious moment and that I shouldn't be a smartass, especially to Captain Teach, but I just couldn't help it at that very moment.

"I can't become a man, Captain Teach, it's physically impossible."

~

Using a fire ship as the perfect distraction, we made our escape past the line of British ships. Teach's crew saw no casualties as we rode the calm waters deep into the night.


	24. Mark

"Wind's in our favor." Teach stated as he stood next to Vane. I was sitting on the edge of the ship on the other side of my captain while cleaning my blades. "Should be arriving in Ocracoke in three days' time." There was a pause and the only sound was the sound of the ships crashing through the waves and the men shouting as they worked.

"My fourth wife, Constance....a sweet girl, bright, but she had her notions. Cricket in the house means good luck, a moth in the house, bad. And the bed...." He sighed. "Jesus, the bed. No hats on it, no brooms near it, nor any clothes in it that were worn outdoors. Any violation of this brought great misfortune. I mean, for an otherwise sane woman, she had these pockets of complete and thorough madness within her. Although it's been six years since I've seen her face....to this day, if I....if I see a broom by a bed, I....I have to move it."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Vane finally asked, and Teach smiled at him.

"A woman has that power, God-given, to leave her marks on you. And it's far harder to dispose of the marks than the woman who left them."

"You think I'm having second thoughts about leaving Nassau? That _that_ is the mark Eleanor Guthrie left on me?"

"I know it is. And I know that you're conflicted about what you have left behind. But the question is whether you can cling fast to the truth we both hold in our hearts, the truth that makes us of the same mind."

"And what truth is that?"

"That a lion keeps no den. Because the savanna, all the space within it, everything that walks and crawls upon it belongs to him." I looked at Teach when he mentioned a lion and I quirked up a brow. _'So I'm not the only one that compares Vane to a lion?'_

"When I talked like that, they all looked at me like I was mad. They never understood."

"There's hardly any of us who do." The older man smiled.

"Sails!" A member of the crew called out, gaining Teach's attention. Vane followed the other captain, but I remained where I was seated. Breathing in the fresh, salty air, I wondered where my life was headed next.

Will the Black Angel soar? Or will she quietly nestle up where it's safe and secure?

"Prepare to pursue!" Another man shouted, and I felt a smirk pull at the corner of my mouth as I slid my knife into it's place on the holster. No, I was not ready to rest my wings just yet. I still had so much time to fly.

~

There was repeated gunfire and clashing of swords filling the air along with screaming men. Blood sprayed over the deck and stained my blades and hands. The taking of the Spanish ship was not easy, but the casualties were heavy on their side. They were transporting information, but someone below deck had burned much of it before killing himself.

Vane was digging through the ripped and burned scraps of parchment while Teach was rifling through a cabinet. Another man was searching through papers on a desk, and I was busy reading a little notebook on foreign recipes. It was in Spanish, but thankfully my previous captain had taught me enough to understand what I was reading.

"Spanish intelligence." Teach sighed. "They'll carry files from station to station, relaying information up the chain of command. Looks like this was a heavy load."

"What do you think they could have had in there?"

"Well, it could be inventories for silver shipments. Could be treasure fleet schedules. Could be private letters of the goddamn kind. Could be anything." Teach grumbled.

"Capt'n. Your name's in here." The other man looked to Vane while holding a stack of papers.

"What?" Vane looked up as his brows furrowed with confusion. Teach snapped his fingers, gesturing for the papers to be handed to him before he started reading them.

"The reports from the Bahamas." My captain rose from where he had been crouching and let one of his hands rest on the hilt of his sword as he listened. "English operations in the area and a dossier on the new governor."

"Part of an invasion plan in case they decide to go in."

"No, this isn't remotely a plan. It's just someone's notes. Fragments."

"Is there anything of value in it?"

"Not unless we have an interest in invading Nassau, which I don't think we do." Teach pointedly looked at Vane. "Do we?"

"No, we don't." Vane answered before Teach let the papers fall to the floor.

"Governor hasn't even been here that long. How did they learn anything about him so quickly? Well, same way they do all British governors in the Americas. They have a spy in his office."


	25. Return Of Flint

_'This little shit is going down.'_ I mentally growled, drawing my sword like the man taunting me had wanted. Teach's crew was rather eager to see if the stories of my combat skills were true and now that we were settled on the island, they were egging me to fight. Vane kept a close eye on me as I stepped forward, and I could feel the warm sand beneath my feet.

There were other men wrestling on the beach or messing around with the women, and a circle began to form around the larger, dark haired male and I. They were shouting, calling out and verbally betting who would win. I mimicked Vane as I stood with my blade ready and wore a calm mask on my face so that my opponent couldn't possibly read me.

The other man made the first move and swung his cutlass like an axe, bringing it down until it clashed against my sword. He was physically stronger, I could tell by simply looking, but I had better balance and I was faster. Shoving my arms up, I forced the pirate to stumble back before I spun on my heel and my blade hissed through the air. The tip caught the front of his shirt, slicing it wide open.

The men went quiet for a moment as I let my opponent regain his composure, then they began to roar their approval as the other man lept at me. The pirate came at me harder than before, holding nothing back as he swung his sword so heavily. Each clash of our blades reverberated deep within my arms, like it was shaking my very bones.

Turning to avoid his blade swinging down once more, he instead snagged the cutlass on the back of my shirt, ripping it open and revealing the mass of black ink feathers.

Oh, I was truly angry now....

Snarling like an animal, I ripped my shirt further, tearing off the sleeves and much of the back to have complete and full mobility. A few of the crew wolf whistled and hollered, but I ignored them as I tossed my sword to the side and drew two of my knives instead. Just as I stepped forward to finish this little quarrel, a deep voice broke through the sea of shouting men.

"Deana," Vane called out. "pick that cutlass back up and sheathe those blades. You don't want to kill the poor lad."

"I kinda actually do." But the look my captain gave me made me obey albeit I was grumbling curses as I did so. I was better with knives, I was completely familiar with them and they were comfortable within my hands, but the sword....

I honestly hadn't started using that until I ended up on Nassau. It was heavier, harder to maneuver, and slower.

~

Flint was alive. Not only alive, despite the word of his death, but here.

"Nearly dismasted in a storm....a storm you chased after. Nearly starved to death in the doldrums. Nearly executed by them." Teach pointed to the men seated behind Captain Flint. "Either you are unkillable, friend, or way overdue."

"One way or another, I am here, and there is much to discuss about all our futures." Flint replied.

"What kind of future do you propose that to be?" Teach questioned.

"I intend to gather forces and move to reclaim Nassau. The conquest is always weakest when the conqueror allows himself to believe that it is done. For Nassau, that point is now. Now, England may hold the island, but it still needs supplies brought in. It is still dependent upon trade. We will make that impossible for him." Flint sat rather proper in his chair, keeping eye contact with Teach.

"We will harass his ships. we will plunder his supplies. We will force him to bleed capital and support and the goodwill of the men surrounding him until he is weak enough to challenge directly. Until we can bring the fleet to bear and retake the bay."

"You know, when I called Nassau home," Teach began. "most of the men on this beach weren't even men. I sailed with Ben Hornigold. I sailed with Sam Bellamy. I sailed with Henry Avery. Feuded with them, stole from them, questioned their motives, but we all knew what we were. Then a man arrives who would explain to us that what we we've been doing was wrong all those years, what Nassau ought to be, what he could make it if we would all just follow his lead. And here you are again asking to do the same." Teach shook his head.

"You let it go well before its time." Flint had an edge in his tone now.

"It was past its time. That you cannot see this only makes it clearer to me that you never even knew it in the first place. This fleet is all that remains of it, and as long as it's mine, Nassau shall remain in its past."

"It isn't yours." Flint quickly said. "It never was. Those ships," He leaned forward. "their commanders and crews, they were pledged to _my_ command, not yours. Oaths were taken, and I have come to see them honored."

"Do you honestly believe that I would just step aside and let you make that claim?"

"I honestly don't give a _shit_ what you would or would not do. The decision isn't yours. It's his." And Flint jerked his head in Vane's direction. "I've come to resume our compact." And the captain turned to look the other man in the eye. "The one we swore upon our lives to uphold. If you stand up and acknowledge it, this fleet will follow us. I'm certain of it."

"You weren't there."

"No, I wasn't. But had I been there, there would be no question about any of this. Had I been there, we would have mounted the defense that we agreed to mount."

"Had you been there, you would have seen their faces, the ones who laid their arms down and turned their backs on us." Vane nearly growled. "The ones who took our money for months and were happy to try and deliver not only my head, but Deana's as well, to our enemies for a little more of it. Nassau is dead. It doesn't deserve anything else from me or the men on this beach." He shook his head. "We are finally free from it, and I see no reason to change that."

"If you wish to leave this place, I'll allow it, although somehow I don't think you have any intention of leaving." Teach stated.

"No, I don't."

"And I think you know that I would never allow you to call a vote to settle the matter of who this fleet follows and risk you depleting my force by luring away some misguided minority."

"No, I don't imagine you would."

"So we have one fleet and two men claiming it. There is only one way I know of to resolve that." Teach spoke, and Flint's expression finally changed. "Pistols, then swords."

~

Swords and pistols were laid out on a crate to be checked, making sure everything was in order and that this would be a fair duel. Vane and Flint were quietly passing words, but I had no clue what they were saying from where I stood.

I honestly never trusted Flint due to the duality of his nature, but I'd be lying if I said he wasn't smart. That man could lead others better than most, and was a rather skilled tactician from what I had seen. He could rally sharks to be in his crew and it wouldn't even surprise me.

But even so, with all his qualities and strengths, I'd still never trust him nor put my life in his hands like his crew. If Teach lost and Vane were to leave with Flint, I'd still follow my captain rather than that red-bearded baldy.

The crowd shifted when the pistols were loaded and the crate was taken away. Vane walked over to stand next to me, and I glanced up at him as I crossed my arms.

"What do you think the odds are between an old man and one that's been starving?" I mumbled.

"The outcome of this is heavily in Teach's favor, but knowing Flint...." Vane clenched his jaw. "There's still an incredibly small chance for him."

"This is a matter of honor to be settled once and for good in the here and now. The parties have agreed to combat and have accepted common practice. The parties have further agreed there will be no quarter asked nor given." A man said clearly and the captains were given their pistols. They nodded to one another, then began to take a few paces in opposite directions. "Cock your pistols!" Each man did so. "From this moment, there's to be no movement until the count of three. One....two....three!" Both men fired, but only one went down.

Teach.

There were a few gasps before a long hush settled over everyone. I could hear the seagulls overhead as everyone stared at Teach, waiting for _something_ it seemed. A few seconds passed like an eternity, but the older captain began to move and struggle to his feet. The shot from Flint's pistol had mostly missed, but left a rather large wound on Teach's forehead from it skimming past.

Flint knew what it meant when his opponent was on his feet and still alive, so he tossed the pistol to the ground before calmly grabbing his cutlass. Teach followed suit and they rushed each other.

The people were silent as the blades clanged loudly and the captains seemed rather well matched until Teach swung his arm and knocked Flint down. Flint managed to roll out of the way as Teach's cutlass hit the sand where his head had been, then swiftly got to his feet to block the next blow.

Teach managed to cut Flint on his shoulder, and the men kicked up sand as they fought. The older captain came bearing down on Flint without mercy, swinging his sword over and over again without giving Flint much room or time to counter. It seemed the old man with the bloody forehead was still much stronger than a man that had been starving and lost at sea until recently.

Flint his the ground again, and just before Teach gave the killing blow, Vane intervened. He drew his sword as he ran from his spot, then blocked his mentor's blade with his own. There was shock plain on Teach's face, and it was he that was driven back by my captain's cutlass.

Vane nearly knocked Teach's sword from his hand, but suddenly stopped as the men looked at each other silently, as if they were understanding one another without having to vocalize a single word. Vane tossed down his sword as pain flashed in Teach's eyes.

The older captain, with his jaw clenched, walked past his protege, spat a few words to Flint, then continued to storm off. Something momentous happened here....and it wouldn't be soon forgotten by the men and women that bore witness to it on this beach.

~

Vane was quiet after what happened with Teach. He seemed lost in his head, staring out at sea as he leaned on the edge of the boat. From the look in his eyes, I knew he was thinking of the consequences that came with his actions. In some ways, he had turned his back yet again on the man that practically raised him, guided him, and taught him most of the things he knew about being a pirate.

"All he ever did was offer me his friendship." My captain spoke lowly when Flint settled beside him. "I cast him aside once, spent years regretting it. And now here we are again. ....Tell me I didn't do it for nothing."

"Well, I won't lie to you. It would have helped having the fleet." The other captain said. "We have assets, we have allies. The question is what we make of them."

"I may be able to help in that regard." I piped up, drawing attention to myself from the two men. "Something to....add to the pool of assets." Vane rose his brow at me while Flint turned to face me more. "Before Ocracoke, we came upon a prize....a Spanish prize....ferrying a significant trove of intelligence and a rather handy recipe book." Looking at both of them, I continued to speak. "Most of the information was destroyed by the time we found it, but....among the remains was one piece of information, something everyone else was quick to dismiss as it held no value to them in that moment."

"Information about what, Deana?" Vane tilted his head slightly down.

"Money." I smirked. "Separated from the Urca gold within the fort and rendered into a new form....a cache of gems for which Spain is holding the new governor accountable. A cache which, if used creatively, could be the key to defeating British forces in Nassau." I then pointed. "The only question is....can we find it before he does?"

"And when were you planning on sharing this information." Those blue eyes of Vane's looked at me sharply.

"When I was certain of your feelings towards the issues surrounding Nassau." Answering honestly, I tilted my head up. "If you were truly finished with that island, there'd be no need to mention it. I still have a bad habit of gathering and storing information."


	26. Silver and Blake

Captain Flint took us to the island he had spoken about that was home to the people he had made a sort of alliance with. It was mostly jungle and we were told that it was full of traps as well...

"Jack Rackham? Who is Jack Rackham?" The woman in the position of queen on this island furrowed her brows in confusion as her daughter stood a few feet away.

"At the moment, he's the most wanted man in the West Indies, owing to a cache of rare jewels in his possession, proceeds from a massive Spanish prize and, as luck would have it, our only hope of victory against Rogers's regime in Nassau." Flint answered.

"You left here to secure a fleet of ships so that we might harass Nassau's trade and bleed away her strength. You told me, that without those ships, you could see no other way to achieve victory in this fight. Now you have returned with nothing but him, some woman, and a plan to make up the difference with money?"

"Not money, bait." Vane stated, having his arms crossed as he leaned on a tree supporting the roof. "We came upon a trove of Spanish intelligence. And the one you refer to as ' _some woman_ ' found mention of this cache of gems, cache I know to be in Jack's possession. Spain is furious over its very existence. They see it as an affront. They are so furious, in fact, they are willing to burn Nassau to the ground just to prove the point." The queen glanced between Vane and Flint. "The only way Rogers can prevent this is to find the cache and return it. Which means if we were to find it first, we could dictate what happens next."

"And what are you proposing that might be?"

"Rogers's strength resides in his naval consort....ships and soldiers on loan to him from the Crown. They're well-trained and well-armed. Against them on even terms, we wouldn't have a prayer of success, _but_ if we can get them to meet us on uneven terms, terms that dramatically favor _our_ efforts, things might be different." Flint stepped forward.

"Use the cache to lure him to committing his forces onto an undesirable battlefield."

"Committing _all_ of his forces there." The queen's eyebrows furrowed at Flint's words. "With the stakes this high, he'll have no choice but to put everything at his disposal in play. We compel him into a single, decisive fight, one in which we have a massive advantage and one in which, with a little luck, we might deal him a catastrophic defeat, break the back of his military strength, and open up Nassau for direct invasion."

"What battlefield is this that will allow us to defeat that kind of force?" One of the guards questioned.

"Here."

"Here?" The guard licked his lips before continuing. "Your plan is to lure the British navy here?"

"I'd like to speak with the captain alone. Now." The queen ordered, and the rest of us left. Sighing as I glanced behind me to the building, I could only imagine the conversation going on inside. Knowing Flint, he was probably trying to convince the leader of these people to agree to his wild idea. Even so, as it seemed, only this wild idea would bring Nassau back under pirate control.

~

The queen's daughter was sent with us on our journey to Nassau to speak with her husband's agents there. They had extra shot and weapons hidden there that we could use, and this young woman was the only one that could get the agents to bring it to us as they trusted no one else other than the queen that had to remain and lead her people, and her husband that was too badly injured to move.

~

"We should be sighting the island in just a few hours' time. We'll approach just west of Nassau Town under cover of darkness." Flint pointed to the map laid out in front of him on his desk. "Two longboats will ferry the landing party to shore. You'll slip into town to pick up the trail and find Rackham and Bonny. The sooner we know where to go to find the cache, the better." He glanced to Vane and I before turning to Madi. "You'll join our party towards the tavern, make contact with your father's agent there and arrange for the acquisition of guns and shot."

"She'll not enter the tavern."

"She won't enter the tavern. She'll have an escort of your choosing. She'll be back on the water before anyone knows she's there." Flint replied. "Meanwhile, Billy and I will enter the tavern and begin recruiting."

"Still don't understand how you think that's going to help us." Vane spoke up.

"Recruiting more men?"

"Recruiting _those_ men. Any man still left on that island made a choice to desert the black. Even if they do join us, what makes you think they won't just desert us all over again the moment the fight begins?"

"It's about more than the men we win. It's the message we send to those we don't. If they won't take up arms and fight alongside us, I want them terrified of the thought of doing it against us."

"Well, then, it shouldn't be you." Billy piped up. "If you want them to fear you, it shouldn't be you delivering the message. You're returning from the dead. But no ghost story I've ever heard of begins with the ghost introducing himself." I rose a brow at the large man. He had a point, but what was he about to propose? "I mean, you walk in there and insist on your own fearsomeness sort of threatens to do more damage than good. The message I understand, but I think someone else needs to deliver it."

"Someone?" Flint rose his eyebrows in question. "Who?"

"Him." Billy gestured his head towards Silver. "I can think of no one more effective at capturing men's minds. _And_ , maybe just as importantly, given the need to invest the moment with as much impact as possible...."

"Who'll be able to take their eyes off the one-legged creature?" Silver finished and scoffed. There was a knock at the door before a man walked in.

"Land on the horizon. Shall we make our approach?" He questioned. Flint glanced to Silver, and the man answered.

"Do it. And make ready the launches. I'll lead the shore party as soon as we arrive." Silver paused before slowly turning his head as the man left. When the door closed, he was looking directly at me. "But there's one thing that needs to change about this plan."

"What?" Vane tilted his head up.

"Deana comes with me. It'll be better for a single man to hunt the trail of Jack and Anne, less likely to be caught that was as well, not to mention....what's better than a one-legged man bringing word of a dead man's return?" Silver raised his brows.

"A one-legged man with a Black Angel bringing word of a dead man's return...."

"Many of them still believe you to be inhuman. It's rather smart to appear with you and make them think you had a part in Flint coming back. Not to mention that they believe you to have just vanished." Billy seemed to agree as he said this.

"Just vanished?" I gave the large man a look.

"We knew Captain Vane was with Teach, but we had no clue you were as well. It's possible that those that knew you went with him told no one else." And that was believable. I had only told Jack and Bonny about it, and rumors with pirates could become twisted fast if not righted.

"....What do you plan on me doing?" I turned my gaze back to Silver.

~

Following Silver into Eleanor's establishment, I could hear the people inside chatting and the crickets outside chirping. The only light came from the candles and the moon, and Silver's metal leg clonked onto the wooden floor. With how it all was....it seemed like we were truly living in a story with the scene set just for what was about to happen.

A few people that noticed Silver paused what they were doing to stare at him as he just stood there.

"I understand this is the place cowards come to beg forgiveness from a king. Sign your name to sleep easy." He spoke softly, but clear enough that everyone heard. My hands rested on the hilts of the knives on my sides as he stepped towards the table where pardons were signed. "Thinking all your sins have been absolved. But some sins....even a king can't make clean." Everyone had stopped talking to look and listen to Silver.

"You....all of you." He continued while walking around. "Every last rotten fuck on this island has crossed a man far less forgiving than old George will ever be. I come as his right hand. I come on a mission of mercy, to show you a path to _his_ forgiveness. I come on behalf of Captain Flint." A few men murmured before one spoke up against Silver.

"Captain Flint is dead." A man stated, and Silver calmly glanced my way, giving the cue that I was to make my presence known.

"Not anymore, he's not." I stepped out from the shadow of the doorway and into the light, the black feathers on my back and arms clearly visible as the men stared at me with ranging expressions and wide eyes. To add to the impact I was supposed to make, Silver had surrounded my eyes with black, making my eyes seem as pale as death as it made me look rather otherworldly. That man's plan was working like a charm so far as I could see fear in those that met my gaze.

....These idiots really thought me to be a creature of the sea rather than a mere mortal?

Following Silver's prior instructions and adding a bit of my own flare, I quietly stepped to the table set out and flipped through the pages of a book filled with names of Nassau's pirates. Blinking, I simply closed the book and placed my hand on top of it while looking to the patrons.

"Every name in this volume....belongs to a man who first pledged his service to Captain Flint, to defend Nassau _against_ the Crown. Every name in this volume belongs to a man who turned his back on that pledge." Lifting my chin, I looked down my nose at them. "This volume....now belongs to me." And I tucked the book under my arm.

"Captain Flint returns to Nassau tomorrow." Silver piped up, walking around the tree in the center of the tavern towards me. "Any man who meets us on the sand will be accepted back into the fold, his name redacted from this book."

"And he shall be forgiven for his sins against his brothers under the black." I added. "But when we set sail, I will keep a list of names remaining. Now those men will _not_ be forgotten. And I assure you....those will hear from us again." There was a venomous edge in my voice before I calmly turned to leave with Silver.

"Is that it?" A man questioned. "Surely there must be more. Surely, if Captain Flint were truly alive, he can do better than to send a handful of men....led by half a man and a _woman_ in the dead of night to deliver a threat as weak as this." Silver and I looked to the one speaking. "A threat that amounts to what? _'Fear my name.'_ " He stepped out to the center of the tavern, pointedly looking at Silver.

"Contented men have short memories and they have little reason to fear the dark. Captain Flint's name is already half forgotten. As for you....I know enough of you to know that even whole, you were unworthy of half of the attention we paid you. And now, as a goddamn invalid, you expect that to change as you stand with Captain Vane's whore?" Silver and I exchanged looks. Did he want me to do nothing, or was I allowed to beat the ever-loving-shit out of him?

I merely blinked, and Silver launched himself at the other man, grabbing a metal cup from a table before striking it across the man's skull. He went down, and the whores inside ran quickly out of the tavern while he men that moved to help the one on the ground were kept in place by others in Flint's crew.

Silver looked down at the former pirate that had lost his glasses after being hit, and his metal leg clanked eerily on the hard ground as he rounded the man on the ground. Without saying a word, Silver snarled and stomped his peg down on the man's face, cracking his skull. There was a sharp, metallic sound each time Silver stomped, and blood splattered his face and clothes.

The dead man's face was soon a puddle of blood, skull fragments, and mush.

"Tomorrow you will join us....or you will all be looking over your shoulders the rest of your lives. My name is John Silver, and I've got a _long_ fucking memory."

"I think that's enough, Silver." I calmly stated, and the one-legged man turned and followed me out as I carried the book under my arm. As we left and walked down the main street, I could hear a woman crying out and men shouting to fetch the guard.

"What happened?" Madi questioned when she joined us, seeing the blood on Silver.

"I'm fine. Let's go." He replied rather quietly.

~

When Vane returned to the boat with Anne, he spoke with Flint about what happened before he sought me out and found me in the galley. I was alone, twisting a knife into the table as I was lost in thought.

"I know what happened at the tavern." Vane's voice broke the silence I was settled in, and his footsteps came up from behind me. "It's already spreading."

"What is?"

"Fear. Rumors. Uncertainties." I felt his hands gently grasp my shoulders and I raised my head to look up at him as he looked down at me. "They're saying the Black Angel turned a one-legged man into a monster with a mere glance."

"It's funny how men's fear twists their perceptions." I chuckled while still twisting the knife.


	27. So Close

Flint was putting wood into a hearth while Vane had gotten bored and was fiddling with the keys of a clavichord. Just randomly, every now and then, the man would tap a key. He was like a child trying to occupy himself while his mother was busy.

" _Please_ , don't touch that." Flint finally said with an edge of irritation in his voice. My captain lazily got to his feet and stepped away from the instrument, but then tapped at some trinkets that were sitting out.

"All these things....porcelain, books....all so goddamn fragile." He began to wander around Flint's home. "The energy it must take to maintain it all. And for what?" He then picked up some porcelain dish to look at it. "I can understand a woman's desire for domesticity, but a man's? That I can't understand." Vane then set it back down.

"I can't understand how you cannot understand." Flint slowly looked over his shoulder, then rose to his feet. "You have no instinct towards earning for yourself a life more comfortable?"

"I don't." Vane strolled into the kitchen and I simply watched him walk as I was taking a bite from some stale bread. "And had I that instinct, I would resist it with every inch of will I could muster. For that is the single most dangerous weapon they possess, the one they tempt. _'Give us your submission, and we will give you the comfort you need.'_ No....I can think of no measure of comfort worth that price." Vane spoke lowly as he looked the other captain dead in the eye.

"I can." Flint replied, and then he glanced towards me. "Have you given any thought about a future with Deana? What if she were pregnant with your child? Is submission still too high a price for their comfort and safety?" I choked on the bread, coughing and having to hit the side of my fist on my chest to allow air to flow back into my lungs. There was a tension filled silence and I looked up to see Vane giving me a weird expression.

"Don't give me that look! I'm not pregnant!" I felt my cheeks flush, and Vane turned back to Flint who only rose his brows.

"I see that _that_ hasn't even crossed either of your minds." He stated.

"This is taking too long." Anne grumbled as she came into the house. "No sign of Featherstone's man. No word on what route they'll take Jack across the island. If we wait here any longer, either we're gonna miss him or someone's gonna find us hiding out here." Vane picked up a teacup while sitting on the edge of the table. He seemed to have some strange habit of fiddling with these things....

I caught him looking at me from the corner of his eyes and I felt my cheeks get hot again. That didn't happen very often, but Flint had brought up a subject I honestly had _never_ thought of. What if I did end up pregnant? What would I even do? Could I even raise a healthy child?

How could I possibly keep my freedom at sea, a place full of dangers that was doubled by my new pirating lifestyle, while raising something so fragile as a baby? ....If I did end up pregnant, what would Vane do?

"No one will find us because no one's looking for us." Flint replied. "The war has left the island. They all saw it happen." He continued as Anne took a seat at the table. "There are at least half a dozen routes that Rogers could choose to send Jack and the cache to meet the transport ship on the sought coast." Vane seemed to vaguely be paying attention as he dangled the teacup from his pinkie before looking down and realizing his finger was stuck....

Could that man even help raise a child if he chose to?

"Can't afford to guess?" Anne said bitterly as my captain managed to twist and yank his finger out of the teacup's small handle without breaking it. "We can't afford not to guess. We miss that caravan, you lose, what? Money? Your war? What I got to lose ain't something so easy to recover from."

"There is no _'your loss,_ ' ' _his loss,'_ or _'my loss.'_ This is not an either/or proposition." Flint glanced around as Vane finally put the cup down and hooked one of his thumbs behind his belt buckle. "We're all in this for our own reasons. You want your partner back. He wants victory. I want to set my home aright. But we _must_ hold the line and stand together. We must. There's simply no alternative." And now that I was honestly thinking about it....when was the last time I bled?

Momentarily panicking as I couldn't remember, I didn't even hear what Billy had said when he walked in. _'When the fuck was the last time I fucking bled?!'_ I mentally screeched while racking my brain. Vane and I fucked like animals, and quite often, so the chances of me being pregnant shouldn't surprise me but I was still in a panic over it.

Then, suddenly, I calmed and took a deep breath. I wasn't pregnant- I had bled just two weeks ago. _'Thank fucking God.'_

"Deana, get your ass out here." My head snapped up as Vane called out from the front door. Dropping the last bite of bread into my mouth, I quickly went outside.

~

_'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!'_ I mentally kept repeating over and over as the horse galloped faster along the dirt road. Not wanting to be left behind or in the way, I had chosen _not_ to tell anyone that I, Deana Blake, had NEVER RIDDEN A GOD DAMN HORSE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! Clean them, sure. But ride them? Never.

So here I was, trying my damnedest to stay on the animal moving rather fast while pistols were being fired at me. Catching up to the carriage as the guards were taken down one by one, I leaned closer to the animal's back and held on for dear life.

Coming up to the side of the carriage, I settled the pistol on my arm while carefully holding the reigns. I couldn't tell who, but one of the others rode up to the other side and we both shot the wheels of the carriage, causing it to go out of control. The team of horses went loose as the carriage flipped and rolled off of the road, crashing as the people that were on top were sent flying.

Slowing the horse to a stop, I saw the other rider casually slide off the side of the horse and I rolled my eyes as they tossed their gun to the ground. ' _That's definitely Charles.'_ Nearly falling off the horse when I tried to get out of the saddle, I only managed to save myself by quickly grabbing the horn of the saddle.

Vane shot a guard that had survived the crash while Bonny hurried to check the carriage for Jack. There was a moment of quiet, and from the look on her face I assumed the worst before her eyes suddenly lit up and she crawled into the carriage resting on its side.

Vane crawled in after, then called out for the other riders to take the cache he lifted out of the carriage. I then heard grunting and metallic scraping and went to see what it was.

Vane was trying to break the metal hoop bolted to the carriage while Anne was digging her knife into one of the locks on Jack's shackles.

"We need to move." Flint said hurriedly.

"Go!"

"Go?"

"Take the chest to the beach. We'll be right behind you."

"Right behind us?"

"Yeah." Vane paused long enough to look at Flint.

"Anne, try this. It might fit better." I handed her one of my small knives. She sheathed her's and nodded to me her thanks before digging at the lock again.

"I thought you said you and Nassau were through." Jack commented to Vane. He was rather bloody from the crash, but seemed fine overall.

"Got worried you two'd be lost without me." Vane grunted while still using the piece of metal to try and break the hoop. "Glad to see I was wrong about that."

"And Teach? How has he taken your change of heart?"

"Couldn't say. If you see him, I suppose you could ask him." Vane was putting his back into freeing Jack as I heard Flint and the other rider race off on their horses. My captain growled while jamming the metal together, then it finally broke and Jack could leave the carriage.

Hurrying to the other side, I helped the scrawny man crawl his way out. Jack rose a brow at me, and I realized he weighed more than he looked.

"Deana, are you actually helping me? Oh, what a development this is!"

"I will drop you." I said flatly as Bonny crawled out of the carriage and Vane jumped out of the top. My captain took Jack's other arm over his shoulder, lifting most of Jack's weight while we walked away from the wreck.

"Look." Jack gestured with his head and I followed his gaze. ....Horses. Soldiers were racing up the dirt road towards us and we didn't have much time to escape.

"Can you ride with him?"

"Yeah." Bonny replied before going to her horse. She mounted and Vane assisted Jack into the saddle behind her.

"Go. Go!" Vane smacked the horse and it neighed before galloping off. Glancing back to the other horses racing towards us, I checked to see how far off they were now. Grabbing onto the saddle, I stuck my foot into the stirrup and about to mount, but a sudden gunshot echoing spooked the horses. I fell flat on my ass, but my eyes went wide as I looked to Vane laying on the ground.

"Charles!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet.

"Oh, God." He groaned, and my gaze shot over the crash, seeing the governor standing dirty and bloody as he lowered his pistol. "Go!" Vane shouted. "'Go!'"

"You wish." I snapped, quickly getting his arm over my shoulders. Glancing to the oncoming soldiers once more, I'd only have an extremely short amount of time to get Vane out of there.

"Deana, leave!" He tried pushing me away, but I ignored his protest as I could hear the governor trudging through the dry grass towards us. He had already spent his pistol, so he'd have to get close to do anything. That gave me at least a window.

It was slim, but I could do it. ....At least I hoped.

Getting Vane to the horse that hadn't run off at the fired gun, he grabbed the saddle and put his weight on the horse. Blood was soaking the fabric of his clothes around the bullet wound, and I managed to get him to climb onto the horse.

"Deana!" And Vane suddenly pushed me back before metal came swinging down. The governor had grabbed a bit of broken railing from the top of the carriage, wielding it as a weapon in place of the sword he lacked. Rogers was trying to pull Vane off the horse, but I saw how close the soldiers were and I knew I had to think fast.

Well....I didn't really think fast. I moved impulsively, taking the dusty man to the ground. Before Vane could slide off the horse to fight, I cut the animal's hindquarters, causing it to jump and run uncontrollably. My captain was shouting, but he had to struggle to regain control of the horse as it was galloping away or risk falling off and getting trampled.

Good. Vane would be furious with me, but at least he'd be alive.

My attention was brought back to the governor when the metal railing he had hit my ribs. I fell to the ground from the impact, groaned from the pain, then grit my teeth and drew my knives. Rolling over, I was just in time to block Rogers's next attack.

Getting to my feet as I kicked up dirt and dust, the man swung again with a snarl on his face.

"You filthy god damn pirates!" He growled. I could hear the soldiers now, their horses' hooves were getting louder with their approach. Throwing a knife, it hit the governor's hand, causing him to shout and drop the metal rail. Throwing another, it hit his thigh, and I drew two more.

Rogers, the little bitch, tossed a handful of dirt into my face, momentarily blinding me before a heavy weight came crashing into me. My head hit the ground hard, my shells and beads clacking together before a heavy fist connected with my jaw. Pain shot through my nerves, but I tried to ignore it the best I could as the governor was hitting me again.

Kicking him off of me, I pounced, bringing down my fists over and over again on the man's already blood face as horses surrounded us. Just as I was about to grab a blade to quickly end this, the handle of a pistol struck down on my shoulder, knocking me off of the man as two soldiers grabbed me. Kicking out and snarling as pain pulsed everywhere I had been hit, they continued to drag me off.

I couldn't reach my knives if they had my hands, so I had to do the next best thing and sunk my teeth into one of the men's arms. He screamed, letting me go and giving me time to pull a blade and dig it into the other man's chest. I saw the light die in his eyes before the reflection of other soldiers running at me from behind.

I was tackled to the ground, my limbs pinned before I was forced into cuffs with my hands behind my back. Chuckling as I tasted my own blood in my mouth, I looked over my shoulder to the soldiers.

"You're all gonna die." I laughed, having a cold, dark edge in my voice. I said this because if I ever did break loose, I _was_ going to kill them. I'd be sure to remember their faces....

~

"What's with that face? Expecting someone else, cunt?" I snarled as Eleanor stood in the doorway of my cell. The emotions on her face were conflicting, and she stepped into the room as a guard closed the door behind her.


	28. Randy Dandy-O!

She was quiet, simply staring at me before she pulled some parchment from her pocket. Unfolding it, she then read out loud what was written.

" _'I, Deana Blake, do hereby plead guilty to the charges of treason and high seas piracy. I understand that the sentence for my crimes is to be hanged by the neck until dead. It is my hope that in exchange for this plea I might be spared the humiliation of a public trial, and that my execution be carried out....privately and mercifully.'_ " She calmly lowered the paper and looked back to me. She then placed it onto the table.

"At noon tomorrow, you'll be transported under guard to the bay, where you'll be boarded onto the Shark and sent to London to face a Court of the Admiralty. Agree to this plea, and the governor will endorse it. We'll see to it that it is heard favorably and your experience in London will be short and dignified. Refuse to sign it, and your experience will be anything but."

"You came down from your tower to ask me to beg for mercy? What a fantasy this must have been for you." I licked my lips, feeling the sting from the cut on my bottom lip. "Well, even if I did sign that, we both know it's not me you're really after. The victory would be empty as you seemingly don't give a fuck about my piracy or my treason. No, I know what really angers you, and the fact that the one that did it isn't even in this cell must piss you off." I smirked. "And let me guess, the only crime of his you _really_ care about....it's not even one of the reasons Rogers has a bounty on him, is it? Is the murder of Richard Guthrie anyone else's concern other than yours?"

"He's a fucking coward." Eleanor shook her head. "When Charles Vane takes something from a man, he looks him in the eye and gives him a chance to deny him. It's all _bullshit._ " She said while stepping towards me. "It was _always_ bullshit. He stole my father from me in the dead of night like a rank fucking cutpurse, and he did it because he wasn't man enough to face me, to show himself. So he found the lowest, cruelest, weakest deed imaginable and acted it upon an innocent man with whom he had no quarrel....knowing that I had _finally_ begun to build something with him that I was _finally_ able to see good in him." Eleanor looked like she was close to tears.

"He was a shit." I popped off.

"What did you just say?" And she looked at me as if I had slapped her....again.

"He was a cowardly, selfish, treacherous shit who cared only for himself and for you not at all." I rose my brows. "You know this. Then suddenly he walks back through your door, tells you he can give you all of the things you want, tells you Charles is your enemy, and, just like that, his love is sacred and Charles was but an inconvenient obstacle to your ambitions." I scoffed.

"He didn't deserve the shit you put him through." Leaning my head back against the pillar, I kept eye contact with her. "You may think what you like of him, that he's some villain to your story, but that won't make it true. He really did love you, as did Max even, and yet....here you stand....sided with Governor Rogers while trying to kill a man that did so much for you when you gave him hardly anything in return other than pain, heartache, and sorrow." Slowly blinking, I shifted where I sat to find a more comfortable position. "He's no doubt pissed at me now, but I'd rather that then have him in my place facing you and your delusions."

"Goodbye, Deana." The blonde walked to the door.

"....He betrayed you, ya know?" I said as she was reaching for the handle. "At first, he begged Charles for mercy. Then he promised to make him rich. But when he realized Charles wasn't after those things....he promised to deliver you to him. Promised to exchange your life for his. _That_ is who your father was, Eleanor. And you know it's true." I watched her from the corner of my eye before she turned on her heel and walked towards me.

My cheek stung from her slap, but then her open palm turned to a closed fist as she hit me again. Her knuckles were rather heavy for her small stature, but it was nothing compared to Vane or even Rogers. She hit me a few more times, before screaming in frustration in the corner of the room.

I didn't fight back, it would have only fueled her on and guards would have come in when she screamed for their help.

"You're not human." She mumbled. "You're deformed. A hideous creature. Flesh, bone, and bile, and missing all that which takes shape through a mother's love. You cannot comprehend what he took from me, or why it was good, because there is no goodness in either of you. There is no humanity in you both, no capacity for compromise, nor instinct towards repair....nor progress. Nor forgiveness." She then turned to look at me as I was wiping the blood from my reopened lip with my sleeve.

"You're both animals. The perfect fit, I'd say. Two halves of one ugly beast.... He, a creature borne of man, and you....a _thing_ borne from the depths of the sea. Nassau is on the brinks of progression, and there'll be no room here for the likes of you."

"That's rich coming from a bitch like you." I retorted, receiving a cold glare from her before she stormed off.

~

Glancing to the door when it opened, I saw a tall, lanky man cautiously coming in, carrying a plate of bread with him. He gently set it down at my feet, then grabbed a chair and sat it before me.

"....I assume you understand what is to happen....as soon as everything begins. It'll be loud, confusing. Men who've never experienced fear are said to know it for the first time. But in this moment, there is quiet. An opportunity to find some measure of peace." He spoke softly, and I noticed the bible in his hands. "I would like to help you do that."

"You've done this before?"

"I have. Regretfully, I have."

"Get many takers, do you?" I raised my brows while glancing to the bible. "For the kind of peace you're offering?"

"It is a different experience to what you may imagine it being. Surely a woman like you has faced death before, but never so nakedly. Not cloaked in glory or sacrifice, fully exposed in all its horror and finality. In this moment, you have the opportunity to enter into that moment with a clear conscience. I can help you do that. To repent."

"I've nothing to repent for."

"Don't you? I understand the code you subscribe to. I understand you believe your violence is justified in the name of a defiance of tyranny, but there are mothers who buried their sons because of you." The preacher nearly spat. "Wives widowed because of you. Children awoken from their sleep to be told their father was never coming home because of you and your ilk. What kind of a person can experience no remorse from this?"

"Haven't you heard? I am no person." I then tilted my head. "And the fact that you sit here before me, trying to have me show regret or guilt when I in fact will do neither for you says more about you than it does about me."

"Me? I am a shepherd sent to help you find a path to God's forgiveness."

"Please. You are but a sheep like the rest of the stinking lot. Whatever I have to say to God, I'll tell him myself or not at all. And if Hell 'is' where I am headed, then my judgment shall be carried out and my sins weighed." Looking down at the bread that was supposed to be my last meal, I realized I wasn't even hungry.

However, I had doubts this honestly would be my last meal. If I was right....if I was no hopeless fool, Vane would find a way to get me out of this. If not, then I'd either have to find my own way or face the fact that today was my last. I would of had longer, but pissing off Eleanor seemed to have changed everything. She was still the tyrant she used to be, not even time in her own cell had changed her.

~

I kneeled as my hands were chained to the bottom of the cart going through town. Soldiers were everywhere, and the public threw lettuce and rotten food at the cart. Surprisingly, nothing actually hit me as they were shouting and jeering. My face remained blank as I passed the men shouting about _'killing the beast'_ and _'finally getting that monster.'_

Why was it so hard to grasp in their feeble minds that I was just a person?

Sighing through my nose, I looked down at my hands. I really was going like my mother. Falling in love with a pirate, turning to piracy, then being hung for my crimes. Looking to the crowd, I saw nothing but vulgar, twisted faces shouting so aggressively and waving their fists.

I didn't know these people, nor did they know me, but yet they seemed so....hateful. Not once had I done anything to them, but still they act as if I had wronged each and every one of them just for simply existing. I blinked, and the faces in the crowd turned to my father.

Angry. Spitting. Shouting. Cursing my name for something I didn't even do or something I did that pertained to none of them. They called me the creature, yet they were the ones like animals.

No, less than that. Animals didn't even do this. ....Humans were such foul things.

The cart came to a halt and a soldier unlocked the shackles from the bottom of the cart. I was forced to stand, and I looked to the sky. It was a beautiful day. So bright and clear, I could even smell the sea from here over the stench of body odor and foul breath.

"When our lord governor arrived here, he promised you things. Order. Prosperity." The man shouted to be heard over the crowd. "Men who are not men at all, but beasts governed by the base instinct, incapable of anything but the most primal behaviors. A constant threat to every decent, God-fearing citizen among us. As long as those men roam free, strife will endure, fear will abound, and progress will elude us. Today marks the silencing of one of the most disruptive of those voices and a step towards the return of civilization in Nassau. But we must always remember however strong the need for the removal of these traitors, these relics of a more savage age, there is no relish in this moment, but there is righteousness and comfort in the knowledge that..."

I drowned the man out as I focused back on the crowd. There were no familiar faces, save for Eleanor and Max standing behind the crowd on the stoop of a building. Eleanor's face was stone while Max seemed perturbed. Looking again, I spotted a giant slipping into the crowd. Billy.

Was this just him coming to see the hanging? Or had someone convinced them to help me?

"Does the condemned have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?" I paused, thinking about what was asked. And I thought....what would Vane say? I myself had no words for the crowd, but Vane....Vane would no doubt have something to say. So I spoke.

I spoke on behalf of the man that, at this very moment, could not speak to the people of Nassau as I had the chance to right now.

"....These men who brought me here today do not fear me. They brought me here today because they fear you. Because they know that my voice, a voice that refuses to be enslaved, once lived in you. And may yet still. They brought me here today to show you death and use it to frighten you into ignoring that voice." The crowd had gone quiet, intently listening to me. "But know this. We are many. _They_ are few. To fear death is a choice. And they can't hang us all." I looked to Eleanor with a glare. "You all decide what you do." There was a silent pause, no one spoke a word as I slowly turned my gaze back to the crowd.

I raised my head high, looking straight ahead as I took a deep breath.

" _~Now we are ready to sail for the Horn.~_ " I began to sing softly. " _~Weigh hey, roll an' go! Our boots an' our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn to be rollicking randy dandy-o!~_ " My voice gained strength as I got louder when the noose was dropped over my head. " _~Heave a pawl, 'O' heave away, weigh hey, roll and go! The anchor's on board an' the cable's all stored. To be rollicking randy dandy-o!~_ "

" _~Soon we'll be warping her out through the locks, weigh hey, roll an' go! Where the pretty young girls all come down in their frocks to be rollicking randy dandy-o!~_ " Taking a breath, I continued. " _~Heave a pawl, 'O' heave away!~_ " This time, it wasn't only my voice that carried. Others in the crowd had joined.

" _~Weigh hey, roll an' go! The anchor's on board an' the cable's all stored. To be rollicking randy dandy-o! Come breast the bars, bullies, heave her away, weigh hey, roll an' go! Soon we'll be rolling her down through the bay to be rollicking randy dandy-o! Heave a pawl, heave away! Weigh hey, roll an' go! The anchor's on board an' the cable's all stored to be rollicking randy dandy-o!~_ "

"Proceed." Someone called out and the cart began to move. This was it. Now or never. My feet were nearing the edge of the cart and it'd take some sort of miracle to get me out of this now....

There was an audible thunk as I fell, my face hitting the ground harshly and I groaned while rolling over. Then....a smile cracked onto my face and I began to laugh.

An arrow seemingly sent by the heavens had cut the rope and buried itself into the wood.

"Detain her!" Eleanor shouted, and there was an uproar. Getting to my feet, I dodged a soldier's hands trying to grab me. The people in the crowd and the soldiers were conflicting and I felt a hand wrap around my wrist.

Looking, I saw that it was Bonny. I grinned as we ran and slipped through the crowd and past the soldiers that were too distracted to notice us.

Dashing through the streets of Nassau, I followed the redheaded woman further into the island. She moved as swiftly as a fox, going around carts and stands and weaving down alleys. My hands were still shackled, but I didn't need them to run, just my legs, and they were holding rather true as adrenaline rushed in my veins.

There had been a brief second, so incredibly brief that it hardly existed, that I felt the rope around my throat tighten from my weight before I had struck the ground from the rope being severed. Death had had it's boney hands around my heart and throat, but whoever had shot that arrow so faithfully had freed me from that angel's hold.


	29. The Derelict

"I swear to God, Deana, if you do something like that ever again, I will _kill_ you." Vane was like a storm with his harsh expression and rumbling voice as he limped towards me. The shot to his leg had been properly tended to, and he seemingly refused to use a crutch to help him walk until his wound healed. When he stood just inches from me, his eyes seemed rather dark and I felt like a scolded child.

Unable to continue looking him in the eye, I glanced to the side while hearing the creaking of the rocking ship and the voices above deck.

"Yeah, well-"

"Well, nothing." Vane's rough hand harshly grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him as he growled, his face so close to mine that I could feel his breath on my face. I had instinctively grabbed onto his wrist, and he tilted my head up a little more. Oh, he was pissed. His face and tone were red flags warning of this, and how he narrowed his eyes made me feel like a mouse caught in a lion's paw.

"I don't want your excuses, I don't want your explanations. You could have died. Shit, you damn near had your fuckin' neck broken by that fuckin' rope! What you did was reckless, Deana. You should have fuckin' left me and escaped." I opened my mouth to say something, but my captain didn't give me a chance to. "Don't. Nothing you say can fix how you sent me off so that you could die." Tightening my grip on his wrist, I glared while raising my voice.

"I love you, Charles." I stated and I saw him pause. "I love you and I didn't want to see you beaten and with a noose around your neck. I figured it'd better be me at the gallows than you. Me? I'm just some street rat with a big name. But you?" I scoffed. "You're fucking Charles Vane, feared captain and renowned man that others will follow into the depths of Hell. You hanging from a noose would shake the very foundations of what's left of the pirates and Nassau would be forever lost to British rule. Sure, Captain Flint could do some damage on his own, but, believe it or not, your death would be catastrophic to what we're doing here-"

"Answer me this....did you risk your life because it was a tactical move....or because you love me?"

"Because I love you." There was a silent pause, then Vane was leaning down and kissing me. His gentle lips were in great contrast to his rough grip still on my jaw, but I found it rather pleasant....

"You're a fool." He said lowly.

~

"Oh, Jesus. They are not fucking around, are they?" Anne asked while looking to the beach being bombarded by cannons. "We're supposed to sail into that? One ship against their entire fleet?"

"A favorable wind. We'll be upon them quickly. We'll take fire, obviously. If we can just get our vanguard aboard one of their ships, we could disrupt their entire line. Do not look at me like that." Jack said while both Anne and I were looking at him like he was an idiot. "This is the plan. Harass their line. We....create uncertainty in the minds of their soldiers on the ground and undermine their confidence in their command."

"Yeah, and I'll know how they'll feel."

"Sails!" Someone on the boat shouted. "East-southeast!"

"East?" And we rushed over to the man holding a spyglass, leaning on the edge of the boat to faintly see the sails peeking around the island.

"Six ships. British colors."

"Who the fuck is that?"

"Reinforcements, likely." The man lowered the spyglass, looking to the ships with his own eyes. "It seems Governor Rogers was able to enlist the aid of one of his colleagues. I'll put a launch in the water now."

"What for?" Jack stopped the man as he was walking away.

"To inform Captain Flint....so he can make his retreat. There could be hundreds of soldiers aboard those ships. The captain's battle plan does not take into account a force that large."

"Captain Flint's battle plan does not take into account his retreat. There is nowhere to retreat to. And given how much we have sacrificed to earn this battle, how can we do anything other than see it through?" Jack questioned.

"Not only that, a very angry captain that's being forced to sit this out would have all our hides if we cower now." I popped off.

"I understand the obligation you are feeling to succeed, but there comes a point where one must accept what is _painfully obvious_." The man gave Jack a look.

"How many ships?"

"What?"

"The second fleet...." The scrawny man raised his voice to address someone else. "How many ships?"

"Six sets of sails!"

"Describe them, please."

"What difference does it make?"

"Shut up. The flotilla....describe them."

"Three tall ships! Two sloop!" One of the men shouted back at the captain. "And one man of war." They both said, making us look at Jack.

"Make a course for that second flotilla, please."

"You're going to attack them?" The man with the spyglass asked.

"Time is short, please." Jack gestured with his head. "Get us under way." There was a pause, but the man did as he was told.

"Get us under way!"

"Jack....please tell me you're not about to get us killed." I said while looking to the newcomers to this battle.

"Just trust me, Deana. If what I'm thinking is wrong, I give you full privilege to kill me yourself." Raising a brow at the man, I just hoped his prior knowledge was cluing him into something that I was just missing about these ships. Did the certain make of the boats have meaning to him?

~

Jack and Bonny boarded the ship rather peacefully, but I remained on our boat, standing on the shrouds while fiddling with my knives. If I saw any wrong movement, I was throwing my blade.

They walked across the deck, went down some stairs to the main deck, and....

Teach.

Teach came stepping out and seemed to immerse in a conversation with Jack. I couldn't tell what words passed between the two, but I shifted my weight when I saw Jack look towards where I was and waved me over. Climbing down from my position, I cautiously crossed between the boats and went to where Anne and Jack were.

"So you are alive." Teach said while looking down at me.

"I would surely hope so." I replied.

"And....Charles?"

"Pissy and grumbling about his leg."

"What's wrong with his leg?" The older man's eyebrows furrowed.

"He was shot. It hasn't had enough time to heal to a certain point, so he'd be at risk with his limited mobility."

"He's not a child, you're making him spoiled." Teach popped off and I simply looked at him.

"Yeah, well, keeping him alive is better than sending him to his death. He can rejoin the battle when he can walk properly."

"Captain Teach, why don't you tell her what you told me?" Jack crossed his arms.

"....They say that Charles is dead and the Black Angel is missing. Disappeared after an arrow from Heaven cut her noose." Teach grumbled while Jack chuckled.

"Even after it all, they still can't fathom you being human."

"Shut up, Jack." I shot him a look.

"I came today to have my revenge for Charles, but seeing as he is alive and you are clearly not ' _missing'_ , I have no reason to be here."

"Wait!" I stopped the older captain as he was turning away. He raised a brow at me and I continued. "Without your help, we _will_ die today." I stated, looking him in the eye. "We _will_ loose despite Flint and Silver's attempts- their numbers are simply too great. Our advantage on the land will only get us so far, but we need more force. More men capable of taking arms, not former farmers or old slaves." I paused. "I know things are tense between you and Charles right now, but the fact that you showed here today proves that you still care for him. Leave now and he will die along with the rest of us when they win."

~

"Flint gave you command of his ship." Teach was looking out over the water as the waves hit against the boat.

"Yes." Jack replied.

"You can count the things that Flint and I agree upon on one hand. But among them is the sincere confusion as to why Charles invested any time and energy in you. I suppose Flint's come to see that there might be some capacity in you after all." Teach continued while I leaned on the edge of the ship.

"And?"

"And....what?"

"'And' as in it sounded as if there was more to that thought." Jack crossed his arms as Teach turned to look at him. "That you might see yourself agreeing with him again....about my capacity." There were a few seconds of the two men just staring at each other. "There wasn't any more to that thought, was there?"

"Signal!" Someone shouted. "On the flagship's mainmast!" A red bearded man handed a spyglass to Teach.

"They're showing her fleet identification, asking us to verify who we are. Get my log from below."

"You have the proper codes to respond?"

"I do." The older captain nodded.

"Don't. Raise the black instead." Jack stated.

"Raise the black?"

"He believes we are beneath him, tactically incompetent. Why give him any reason to doubt it? To be underestimated is an incredible gift." The scrawny man explained, and I swore I saw a smile crack on Teach's face.

As we neared the English ships, men scuttled about the decks like ants, prepping the cannons and guns for the oncoming battle. I felt a hum in the air and my heart beat with anticipation. Crawling up to the crow's nest, I squeezed in next to the man and took the spyglass from his hands.

"Oi!" He gave me a look, but I simply placed my hand over his mouth to shut him up as I looked out to island. Flint and his men had already retreated further inland, allowing our enemy to settle on the beach. Things were more or less going according to the plan on that front....

Turning my gaze back to the other ships in the water, I saw them turning to aim their cannons at us, waiting until we came into range. Easing into it, the ally ships formed a line and began to return fire.

"Deana! Hurry it up!" I heard Anne shout up at me.

"Be right there!" I shouted back, tossing the spyglass back to the man at post before I scurried down the mast. Following the redheaded woman as she was already prepared to go, I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it down. I could swim fine in trousers, but the wet fabric of my shirt would slow and interrupt my movements, hence why I discarded it. I had wrapped my chest beforehand, and secured my blades to my body.

"If you get there ahead of us, wait." Anne gave me a look just before we parted into the water below. My legs were strong and true as I swam beneath the surface among the other men and woman, but it didn't take long before I was swimming past them all as Anne had predicted. The water was my home, and even though these pirates also laid to the same claim, they spent their time solely on deck or in the sails.

When I had to come up for air, I was quick about it, not wanting to be spotted by chance. As I reached the first ship, I went ahead and began climbing up the side to where I could comfortably stand. Pressing my wet back to the warm wood of the ship, I waited, catching my breath and resting my muscles. A little while after, the others began to appear out of the water, pulling themselves up onto the boat.

As one, we ascended the rest of the way and attacked the ship, taking everyone on board by surprise. Blood flew through the air as swords danced and flashed in the sunlight. A small group headed solely to to the stern to take the canons there and fire on the other ships in the enemy's line.

I knew this was a serious battle and there was no time to be making light of this situation, but I couldn't help it as I cracked a sadistic smile. The Black Angel was having her bit of revenge on those that nearly had her hung.

Arching my blades as blood flowed onto the deck, I fought a sort of dance to the beat of Death.

" _~Fifteen men on the Dead Man's chest!~_ " Another sailor fell. " _~Drink and the Devil had done for the rest!~_ " A man came swinging his cutlass at me. " _~The mate was fixed with the bo'sun's pike and the bo'sun brained with a marlin spike, Cookie's throat was marked belike. It had been gripped by fingers ten, and there they lay, all good dead men, like break o' day in a boozin' den. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ " I grinned as I moved on to the next man.

" _~Fifteen men of the whole ship's list!~_ " Drawing a blade after I had thrown one, I kept moving. " _~Dead and bedamned and the rest gone whist!~_ " Screams and seagull calls filled the air. " _~The skipper lay with his nob in gore where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore, and the scullion he'd been stabbed times four. And there he lay, and soggy skies dripped all day long up staring eyes. By murk sunset and by foul sunrise- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ "

" _~Fifteen of 'em stiff and stark!~_ " I drove my small knife into a man's spine and twisted. " _~Ten of the crew with a murder mark!~_ " Cannon fire rocked the ship more than the waves. " _~'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead, or a yawning hole in a battered head, and the scupper's a-glut with rotting red....and there they lay, aye, damn me eyes. Their lookout's clapped on Paradise, and their souls gone just contrariwise- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ "

" _~Fifteen men, of 'em good and true!~_ " My foot connected with a man's jaw. " _~Every man-jack could'a sailed with Old Pew!~_ " His head jerked to the side as blood spewed. " _~There was chest on chest full of Spanish gold, with a ton of plate in the middle hold, the cabins a riot of loot untold- And there they lay that took the plum, with sightless glare and lips struck dumb, while we shared all by the rule of thumb- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ " He came to swing a fist at me, but was halted from the dagger burying into his heart.

" _~More was seen through a stern light screen!~_ " I spun to miss a sword swung at me. " _~Charting, no doubt, where a woman had been!~_ " Ducking, I dodged his meaty fist. " _~A flimsy shift on a bunkered cot with a thin dirk slot through the bosom spot and the lace stiff dry with a purplish blot. Oh, was she a wench, some shuddering maid that dared the knife and took the blade. By God, she was tough for a plucky jade- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ " I dropped down further, kicking his legs out from under him as another shot him in the head.

" _~Fifteen men on the Dead Man's chest- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the Devil had done for the rest- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ " Blood splattered my clothes and hands and I cut right through a man's throat. " _~Wrapped then all in the mainsail tight, twice ten turns of a hawser's bight and we heaved them over and out of sight. With a yo-heave-yo and a fare-ye-well, a sudden plunge in a sullen swell ten fathoms deep on the road to hell- Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!~_ " Throwing my arms out at my sides as I was grinning and panting from the fight, I watched as the enemy signaled for a retreat.

Slowly lowering my arms, the wings on my back folded as the fight had come to an end. I was covered in blood that was both my own and not, and the bright red contrasted with my pale skin in the bright sunlight. This was the price for my near hanging, now....to reap the bill for everything else was next.


	30. Return To Nassau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING: Mature content ahead, proceed at own risk*

"Are you still pouting?" I quirked up a brow.

"I'm not ' _pouting_ '." Vane snapped at me as he was looking out a window in the ship.

"Sure looks like it. Look at you....crossed arms, grumpy face, won't even look at me. You're also doing that thing you do when you pout."

"I'm not doing a thing and I am _not_ pouting." Vane's voice was nearly a growl.

"I know you're upset, but the war is still on. You still have a chance to fight, Charles." He gave me a look before turning back to the window while leaning on a table. Rolling my eyes, I got up from my seat and walked over to him. "Fine, what if our positions were switched? What if it were me with the shot leg instead of you? Would you let me fight knowing only one of my legs was working right?" He sighed through his nose and I knew the answer to that question as I leaned onto his back and wrapped my arms around his torso.

"Damn woman."

"Damn me all you want, you're stuck with me, Captain." I smirked and felt his hand rest on my arm.

"I will not thank you if that's what you're aiming for."

"I'm shocked you would think I have ulterior motives with you."

"Deana, you almost always have ulterior motives."

"Okay, but they're not all bad." Vane absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over my forearm while his eyes were glued to the ocean outside, not arguing with my statement nor agreeing with it.

"....I never really thought about it, you know?" His voice was strangely soft. "But ever since Flint brought it up it has been plaguing my mind. Even more so now that we are surrounded by nothing but water and it's so quiet." My brows furrowed, not getting what Vane was talking about with such a serious tone.

"Brought what up?"

"You." He twisted and sat on the edge of the table to look me in the eye. "You with my child. I never thought I'd be a father nor did I ever plan for it, and I only ever thought about it once briefly with Eleanor but that was all. Even if we don't plan, even if we don't think about it, there could come a day when you are pregnant and as time goes on it's ever more likely. Deana, I am not suited for the life of comfort and parenthood, but the thought of a family with you is just...." He trailed off and took my hands in his, his thumbs trailing over my knuckles. "If we win, if we reestablish Nassau as ours rather than England's, I....I would not be apposed to starting a family with you."

"That's one Hell of a way to say you'd like to knock me up, Charles." I scoffed, and glanced down at his hands gently holding mine. "However, I must disagree with you. You are very suited to being a father. You're kind and caring, harsh when you must be, and you're not afraid to fight for what you think is right. Neither of us may be ready for a child now, but who knows what the future holds for us." Shrugging, I looked back up at him with a soft smile. "I mean, I didn't think I'd ever love a pirate, but here I am- with Captain Charles Vane, no less. I say, when things are good, we come back to this conversation here."

"When things are good." He repeated and cupped my cheek before kissing me. It was a sweet kiss with an underlying hunger and I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. This little moment right here nearly made me forget we were at war, that the quiet with the rolling waves and creaking ship was only temporary until we reached Nassau.

Charles grabbed my thighs and lifted me up into his lap, not breaking the kiss at all while supporting my weight as he was still leaning on the edge of the table. I felt a smile pull at my lips as my fingers tangled into his long hair. Leaning back in the slightest, our lips still touched as I spoke lowly to the captain.

"I do believe it's been an awful long time that we've been apart."

"We're together now, Deana." He got that smirk of his and I raised my eyebrows.

"We are." Pulling his hair, I made him bare his throat to me and I pressed my lips to his exposed neck. "You think anyone will be in need of us anytime soon?" I questioned lowly and felt Charles pause as if he was actually debating on whether or not we'd be called upon for an important matter.

I got my answer from him letting my feet back onto the floor before he was quickly undressing, dropping his shirt and other garments onto the floor. Hurrying to also take my clothes off, I pounced on the poor man once I was naked, making him stumble back onto the table that audibly protested to the weight now on it. His hands were on my hips while mine where on his face, holding his cheeks as we kissed. I felt his leg kicking to get his pants off the rest of the way and I began to grind my pelvis into his.

Charles moved to get off of the table, but I pushed him back down by his shoulders, looking down at him while smiling- I rather liked how his hair sprawled out around his head.

"Best to keep off that bad leg of yours, Captain." I stated, feeling the heat beneath my skin rising as a slick wetness began to build between my legs.

"Is that so?" There was a glint in the man's eyes that matched my own.

"Very much." Rolling my hips, his cock grew harder under me, pressing against my labia as I moved. "Why not let me take care of ya, Capt'n?" His head rested back on the table as he looked up at me with a grin.

"I don't need you to care for me, but who am I to deny such an offer?" His voice grew husky as his rough hands traveled up my stomach to massage my breasts. Moaning, I dug my nails into his broad chest. Licking my lips, I bent down to leave marks on his tan skin, littering his collarbone and even his neck with hickies and bites.

Placing a hand onto the table, I shifted my weight and reached for Charles's dick that was already slick from my wet core rubbing against it. Pressing the head to my entrance, I moaned as the man beneath me clenched his jaw from me dropping back down onto his lap.

I took a second to relish in the feeling of being filled, listening to the captain's quickening breath as his chest rose and fell beneath my palms. I swallowed before I started moving again, looking down at the larger man while feeling his calloused palms rake up my thighs. One hand went to grab my arse, making me go faster since Charles didn't like my taunting pace while his other hand went between my legs.

Jolting, I moaned again from his thumb pressing against my clit and red marks were left on his chest from my blunt nails. I did try to keep in mind that we were on a ship full of sailors to abstain from being too loud, but it truthfully was hard to do so with how good I was feeling.

"Fuck~!" I panted, able to hear the table creaking as I rode Vane. His thumb pressed harder against my clit and my breath momentarily caught in my throat. He groaned, feeling me tighten around him before I was kissing him again.

~

The arrival to Nassau was signaled by tragedy as a rain of cannon fire tore through some of our ships after a sunken boat hidden beneath the waves took us by surprise, capturing a ship as it crashed right into it.

Men were taken by the attack or by the sea from drowning once they'd fallen overboard. We were not in the slightest prepared for such an attack and we were paying dearly for it. Our only saving grace was that only three of our ships had approached the shallows where our enemy were now swarming. We couldn't do much other than watch- firing into the mass of boats and men would kill any of ours that were still alive in the chaos.

My face was firm as I clenched my jaw, watching as the great boats sank beneath the blue waves. At least we still had the Man-of-War....

However, with or without it, I was getting on that island one way or another. There was still Hell to pay for a noose being put around my neck.... And the fact that Eleanor had pissed me off one too many times.

Not many of the longboats escaped from the three drowning ships from what I could see, but if the forces already on Nassau could get to the survivors, the men could regroup and attack from another angle. However, now that the new residents of the island were already aware of our arrival, it would be harder to attack.

Teach was yelling orders, getting the ship under way as we were now being pursued.

~

"Prepare to be boarded. The rig has been too damaged to maneuver properly against those nimble ships." Teach stated while looking right at Vane. "They'll be on us within the hour." He added before leaving and I turned to my captain.

"Die and I'll make you regret ever boarding the Petrel." I popped off, making Charles scoff as he grabbed his pistol.

As Teach had predicted, the redcoats were soon jumping onto our ship with blades drawn and pistols firing. Gunfire, screaming, and smoke filled the air and I palmed a blade before sending it flying into a man's skull. I plucked the knife from his head as I ran past, briefly cringing as his eyeball popped out and remained on the blade. I didn't bother shaking it off before it was thrown yet again into someone's throat.

I grabbed two more knives, cutting down more men as blood stained everything it touched. A gun pointed in my direction was soon aimed right back at it's wielder as I broke his wrist and used his own finger to pull the trigger. His head exploded out the back from the close range shot and I was already moving on before the body hit the deck.

By the end of it all, the surviving redcoats were executed on the main deck while the wounded were tended to and the dead given a watery grave.

~

"Do you think he lived?"

"Who?"

"Flint."

"Knowing him, more than likely." Charles replied, setting the cup of water down in front of me as he took a seat. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that clever bastard is very much needed in this war." I replied, picking up the cup and taking a drink before going back to wiping the blood from my face.

"....Are you certain of that?"

"Who else would take his place? Your former quartermaster may have wit, but even he isn't on par with Flint, nor does he display similar leadership. Teach is, well, Teach. And you...." I glanced at my captain and saw him quirk up a brow at me. "Well, Flint's men aren't quite fond of you and you can get cocky at times, it clouds your judgement."

"You've forgotten someone."

"Who, Anne? She's too much of a lone wolf and busy looking out for Jack. Sure, she has potential, but she's not ready to take a leadership role in the middle of a war. No one can replace Flint if he is lost."

"I wasn't talking about her, Deana." Vane raised both of his eyebrows, leaning over the table to grab a damp cloth to clean his own face and hands with.

"Then who the bloody Hell are you talking about?" Wringing out the rag I had in the bowl of cold water, I began to wipe down my neck and arms. "Silver? He's just as likely to be dead as Flint."

"For someone as smart as yourself, you can be rather stupid." The captain popped off. "You, Deana. You could take Flint's place if he's dead."

"Me?" I scoffed. "I'm no leader, Charles. Hell, I was a cook most of my life."

"No, but you think in a similar way as Flint. You're cunning. Smart. You can see into a man's heart, know what he's thinking."

"....We don't even know if Flint's dead. We should find out if he's alive or not before thinking of replacing him." I mumbled, and I found myself unsure of the prospects of finally having my childhood wish come true- if Flint was dead, that is. I knew I desired to be a captain for a long time, but could I actually handle it?


	31. Hear Me

"He won't turn her over. Not for 60 men. Not for 600 men." Jack stated.

"No. I don't expect he will. Nor do we have the stores to maintain this blockade for long. So we need to move quickly. You'll gather your men. You will stand ready to depart upon nightfall. And whilst the enemy remains focused on us, you will make your landing to the west and move undetected into town." Teach ordered. "You will find Eleanor Guthrie and you will bring her out of Nassau, back here."

"There ain't no good way in from the west." Anne spoke up with a low voice.

"I agree. Perhaps an approach from the lagoon-"

"Do it."

"The west is too dangerous for a large group of men." I crossed my arms while looking right at teach. "If all we need is to retrieve Eleanor, I propose a different method." Glancing to Anne, I jerked up my chin. "We do it. We can get in and out without raising alarm." The redhead quirked up her brow at me but didn't reject the idea.

"And if you're caught? Seen?" Charles questioned. "You'll be alone, no backup, no way out unless we send in more men."

"Then we take a handful, have them stay back and wait. If something goes wrong, they either bring back word or go in for a rescue. But I'm telling you, Anne and I could do this quickly and quietly and that's exactly what we need right now." I explained and Teach narrowed his eyes at me.

"Don't fuck up." He said before walking away.

"So who the Hell do you plan on taking with us?" Anne questioned.

"People who can stay quiet, for starters."

~

"Slip the cables! Set course to pursue!" I heard someone shout and went on deck to see what was happening. It was dark out and the fort cannons were firing in the distance.

"What's going on?" I questioned, grabbing Jack's arm as he was walking past.

"A certain _someone_ is trying to escape with the cover of cannon fire. Captain Teach has chosen to chase him down." Jack looked like a mix of irritated and done with the plan already as men were quickly moving about the ship to carry out Teach's orders.

~

Our cannons tore holes through the smaller ship's sails once we caught up to it. Longboats parted, making way for the enemy vessel with Teach at the lead and once the longboats were close enough, smoke bombs were tossed aboard along with grapples and ropes to climb. There was dead silence as the air was full of tension. Anne and Charles had gone with Teach, along with various other men from each crew, and I was left standing and watching from the Man of War beside Jack.

Everything was still as the pirates walked the ship, making sure the dead were actually dead. As they were spread out, shouting filled the air as redcoats flooded the deck and gunfire echoed across the water. All we could do from where we were was watch and hope the enemy would fall and our men would come out victorious.

My nails bit into the wood of the rail as my eyes followed Anne and Charles, watching as they cut down the redcoats that came at them. There was more gunfire as pistols went off, and I could hear the distinct clanging of sword against sword. Anne went down, getting tackled by a soldier before she shot him and men with rifles trained their weapons on Teach a few yards away.

Charles was still fighting, barreling through men like a beast until he saw Teach's predicament. There were seven armed rifles only inches from the older man's head- the likelihood of all of them misfiring was low.

"Raise the flag."

~

Hands bound, I was shoved towards the mast along with the other pirates. I had been stripped of my knives and sword, but that didn't mean I was unarmed. Standing among the men I sailed with, they all wore serious and grim faces.

The governor walked right up to Teach as he was on his knees and the captain only smiled.

"Do it." A soldier then put a sack over Teach's head and tightened the rope around it to make sure it wouldn't come off. The rope tied to Teach's legs was pulled, dragging him across the deck until he was lifted up into the air by his feet. He was slowly hoisted over the water as the govenor strutted to the half of the crew by the mast, then passed by us to Teach.

A redcoat clasped another rope to the old Captain's bound wrists and still no pirate spoke.

"Let's get the slack." The men at the pulley shifted and waited for the command to let go. Their superior waved his hand and Teach plummeted into the ocean. There was a splash and the governor turned, waiting a few seconds before speaking.

"Now."

"Pull!" There was a low sound from below deck- it was unmistakably Teach scraping across the bottom of the boat. There was a thud, more scraping, and he finally resurfaced on the other side of the ship. His clothes were torn while he was bloody from the barnacles stuck fast to the outer boards. "Pull it away! Hold him."

Teach was brought back aboard and he collapsed to his knees and elbows as soon as the hook was taken from the ropes on his wrists. He started to cough and wheeze, forcing himself to sit up.

"Again."

"Again! Heave! Heave! Heave!" And yet again Teach was drug over the bottom of the ship. He came out even bloodier and cut up than before. When he was on deck once again, blood and water pooled on the boards and the governor nudged Teach with his foot to see if the older man was still alive. There was no reaction, so the man turned and looked right at....Charles.

"Him next." Two redcoats grabbed him while another had a rifle aimed at his chest. As he was pulled forward, I barreled through the crowd, baring my teeth as I crashed my shoulder right into the one holding the gun. He went down, dropping the rifle as I stumbled a few steps before turning on the soldiers now having their weapons aimed at me. "Wait!" The governor rose his voice while eyeing me before raising his eyebrows and pointing. "Don't shoot her yet, she can go after him."

Hands grabbed my shoulders just as Teach was coughing and trying to push himself up once more.

"Again!"

"Heave! Heave! Heave!"

"Let fall!" This man....this man believed he held all the power over us, but just by looking to the men I could see it plain in their eyes. A fire was building, being stoked and fed as Teach was tortured and fighting to stay alive. Teach was laughing when he caught his breath this time around, it was sickly and wheezy, but a laugh nonetheless.

The governor pulled a pistol from a soldier's waist, then fired it right at the older captain's head. Smoke rose from the barrel as Teach was finally dead.

"Secure the rest of them. Set a course for Nassau."

"Hear me, Rogers! I curse your name!" I yelled, my voice making the man stop as he was walking away. "I am the Black Angel, and for what you have done here today....you are damned." I spit, my eyes locking with his and burning with the rage I felt. "The devils of Hell already call your name, Woodes Rogers. Hear them, feel them creeping closer to drag your soul to the depths." I gave a wicked grin while being forced back by the soldiers holding me. "For you, there is _no_ escape!"


	32. So Flint's Alive....Hardy Bugger

The wood of the ship creaked as it rocked over the waves and all 42 of us were silent and sitting shoulder to shoulder. We were all chained together, all able to hear the men shouting orders and walking across the deck above us.

We were sailing to the mainland where each and every one of us would be tried and hung for piracy.

Raising my head, I saw three soldiers as they came down the stairs. One had a nasty cut over his brow that would no doubt scar and blood smeared down his face.

"There's a fight soon to be underway in Nassau." He spoke low without looking at us. "A fight that we are entitled to be a part of. A fight to answer a cowardly crime. A fight that's been stolen from us....by you fucking people." He finally turned his gaze in our direction. "So, the way I see it," He stepped closer to Jack and Anne in the front. "each one of you owes us a fight. And Mr. Milton....is here to collect." He turned back to a larger man by the stairs.

"I am responsible for delivering all 42 of you to the law in Port Royal. Let me dispel that notion for you right away." The dirty faced man began to walk between us, looking down at those around him as he stepped over the chains. "It won't be happening. I assume there is some token number I must actually deliver for appearance's sake. How many that is I-I honestly couldn't say. You're the captain now that Teach is dead, yes?" He stopped walking, looking right at Charles. The captain had a cold expression, not even bothering to pay the redcoat any mind until the man nudged his leg with his foot.

Charles slowly looked up at the soldier, hate and anger burning in his eyes.

"I am."

"Then you choose. Which of your men is going to be the first?"

"Fuck you." The redcoat backhanded Charles, but that only made the fire burn brighter in the captain's gaze.

"You choose....or it starts with your partner here." The soldier's gaze drifted to me and Charles and I exchanged glances. I gave a sharp jerk of my head, telling my captain to not say a word. I'd rather fight the giant by the stairs then have these men get fed to him.

Charles clenched his jaw, but didn't speak a word and we turned to look right at the man standing over us.

"Choose." He repeated, but only silence came. "Fine." He bent down, grabbing the chains around my wrist and jerking them up.

"Carver." Charles spoke and I quickly looked at him, but he was glaring at the man in front of me. He let my chains go and Carver stood up and waited to be detached from the others.

Keys and metal links clicked as the hulking man up front slid off his coat. Nothing signaled when the fight began, but Carver was the one to land the first hit, busting the bigger man's nose. The pirate seemed to hold his own a first, but it soon became clear that the giant had the upper hand- especially when another soldier held Carver and the giant was given a large hammer.

The pirate's screams made my ears ring as blood smeared the wooden boards on the floor. However, the screaming was cut short from the hammer coming down onto Carver's face.

"Who's next?"

~

"Charles....no more." I spoke low, watching as the latest man was being beaten to death by the giant and his hammer. Several others already lay dead on the floor and more soldiers had come down, cheering and jeering at the bloody show. "When he asks for a name, don't say a fuckin' word."

"Deana-"

"No. If we don't do something now, what's left of us when we reach Port Royal are just gonna swing. Just trust me on this, give me a chance." The last scream stopped and the pirate's body was drug to the side.

"Another name, Captain?" Charles was looking at me from the corner of his eye and I glanced to Anne as she was giving me a firm look. "Captain? Will you be choosing or will I?"

"Go fuck yourself." The captain's voice rumbled in reply.

"All right, then. Her." The chains on my wrists were unlocked and I was shoved to the front where I would have to battle for my life. The giant was watching me from where he sat on the stairs and quiet fell as all eyes were on me now. My gaze drifted over my surroundings, seeing what was available to me now that my blades were no longer in my possession.

There was some broken glass in the corner, but I'd have to get around the giant to reach it. Getting around him and that hammer would be difficult- he was fast for his size- so I'd need to find another way. The man stood, getting closer and I now had a ticking time limit and honestly....it felt like I was back on the streets when I was younger, fighting to stay alive.

The hammer swung at my head and I jumped back to dodge, then to the side as it came at me again. I felt hands on my back, pushing me forward and I didn't have time to stop myself before crashing face first into the long handle of the hammer. I went down, pain spiking through my nerves as I spit blood from a busted lip.

The giant came at me and I had to bite back the pain to roll away. Crouching, I was poised like an animal now with my eyes locked with the larger man as hot red stained my chin and dripped to the boards below. Undoing my buckle, I pulled it from my trousers and the leather snapped like a whip.

The atmosphere seemed to spark as I now held the belt as a weapon. The giant wasn't phased, however, thinking I was no threat even now and advanced. As soon as the man got within range, there was another whip-like snap and he was yelling from the end of the belt hitting him right in the eye.

Running, I jumped, both feet kicking right into his gut and sending him stumbling back. As soon as he fell, I was on him, stabbing the pin in the belt into his neck over and over again. A soldier tackled me off of the giant, but I only turned on him and started stabbing him in the same manner.

Another redcoat came at me, but I was faster this time, snatching the keys from his waist and throwing them to Anne before wrapping the belt around a man's neck and pulling it tight.

Gunfire rang out as the pirates sprung into action, fighting back and killing the soldiers before taking their weapons. There was chaos all around and it flooded to the top deck.

~

As soon as my feet hit the sand, I collapsed and closed my eyes, basking in the sunlight as my muscles still ached. After taking the ship, we had made it back to Nassau where the odds had yet to be determined. We didn't know who was in control right now, so we went to the island away from the harbor.

"Deana, as much as I know we all want to just rest, now really isn't the time to-"

"Shhh." I waved my hand to Jack. "Just a moment."

"Oh, well, you may want to get up to see this." He replied I peeked open an eyes, seeing the scrawny man walking away. Following him with my gaze, I watched as he went to meet....Captain Flint. ' _So I guess that hardy bastard is still alive.'_ I thought and my eyes drifted to the group of people standing a few yards off behind Flint.

I paused, seeing near blinding blonde hair in the sun. Slowly rolling over, I double checked the face of the woman standing there, still wearing a fine dress without a single stain.

A cloud of sand entered the air from how fast I moved, kicking up more of it as I bolted across the beach.

"Deana!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake-" I ran right past Jack and Flint, and Eleanor's eyes widened as she saw me coming and turned tail to run the opposite way, knowing full well I would kick her ass as soon as I caught her. The woman tripped on her dress and I was on her, already swinging a fist and catching her jaw on my knuckles.

Eleanor was screaming, putting up her hands to try and defend herself, digging her nails into my arms which had very little effect with my sleeves down. I was forgiving to a degree, but this woman, this _rancid_ excuse for a human, had gone too far. I was literally hung and nearly killed because of her and it hadn't been nearly long enough for me to forget such a thing.

I heard a distinct crack and I knew her nose was broken before I was physically drug off of the woman that was already bloody and bruising. Three men- English soldiers- struggled to pin me to the ground as I was kicking and fighting and even biting.

"Deana! Let her up! _Now!_ "


	33. Heading North

"It's bullshit. Utter _bullshit_." I grumbled, assisting in unloading the boat filled with crates and barrels, setting everything down onto the beach.

"We'll deal with it later, Deana. Right now we have other things to focus on."

"You sound like Jack." I dropped a crate ontop of another one and went back to the boat.

"And you still have blood on your hands." Charles popped off, walking past me with a barrel in his arms. Glancing down to my hands, I sighed through my nose and went to the water to rinse them off.

"Captain! Sails!"

"Change of plans! Spanish invasion. Back to the ship." Jack called out shortly after and I turned to see that he had been talking to Max. "Are you coming?" He turned back to the woman and I stood up while drying my hands off on my pants.

"What Spanish invasion?" Charles questioned and Jack waved his finger.

"Woodes has made his move, it seems. There's an entire fleet of Spanish ships in the harbor. You can stay here if you like, but I advise leaving. Not even Deana has enough blades to take on an army." Jack stated and Charles paused to think, then waved his hand to the pirates to load the cargo back onto the boat.

~

"....tell them we'll be here to get them off the island. But there's a credible argument to be made that we ought to leave right away. While we still can."

"No. We wait." Charles crossed his arms while shifting on his feet. "We wait as long as we can for them."

"If anyone survives the day, that is." Jack popped off.

"If you had some men to spare, I could use them on the Walrus."

"If there's nothing else to be said, I would like to see her." Max stated and Jack glanced to me. I nodded and Max turned to me, following as I walked away from the group and into the belly of the ship. It became quiet, save for the creaking wood, and much darker as we went below deck.

"I don't know what all has happened between you and Anne, but if she attacks you, I won't stop her." I said lowly over my shoulder to the woman behind me. She didn't reply, but I doubted she needed to with that guilty look in her eyes.

"....You've come a long way, Deana."

"Excuse me?"

"From being the new cook stolen from the Petrel." She explained. "I remember hearing of your arrival and thinking how you wouldn't last long out there. I couldn't really figure if it was a blessing or curse that you ended up with Captain Vanes crew."

"Because they were the only ones around here with a woman on deck?"

"Exactly. But when I actually saw you, when you walked through town with Vane, I knew...."

"Knew what?" I questioned while walking past a lantern.

"That you'd somehow make it on this island. You had such confident and hard posture, but such wonder in your eyes as you took in the town. You weren't scared even though you should have been, especially with Vane. I also thought you were a bit stupid to look at that man with such awe."

"How could I not?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I first met Charles I thought the lowest of him, but when I got to Nassau time and time again he proved my opinion to be wrong. He gives respect where respect is due, he is both feared and loved by his crew, and the fact that Anne was there....well, that speaks for itself. It may have been naive thinking, but back then I thought of him as a sort of king."

"A king?" Max chuckled.

"His mannerisms, his posture, all of that. I mean, it wasn't of the royal caliber, but it was adjacent to it."

"And now?"

"And now you better prepare yourself." I stated while reaching for a door. Opening it, I saw Anne on the other side, sitting in a chair while polishing one of her blades. "I'll give you two some privacy." Anne looked up, her gaze drifting from me to Max and her face hardened. Leaving, I went back the way I had come from.

~

"Your friend Silver is still alive."

"Oh, that's actually good to hear. He was the only tolerable one of Flint's bunch."

"Seems he's done quite a bit for himself as well."

"I'm not surprised. He's a smart man." I looked up from the book in my hands and turned to Charles. "So why exactly are we heading North?"


	34. Mrs. Guthrie

Having my hands under my arms, I was trying to keep as warm as possible with how cold it was. The docks were bustling with crews and other ships and I faintly heard Jack complaining about docking and departing fees. I only tuned more into his voice when I heard him mocking Max's accent.

"....what sort of reward might one expect for aiding in the capture for a notorious pirate captain such as say, oh, Jack Rackham? Really? It's that much? Oh, well, what do you know. There he is." He pointed before looking at Max. "You'll stay here. I'd rather take Deana than you."

"Okay."

"What?"

"I said okay. Let's go." I shrugged and Jack seemed to think before shrugging.

"All right, then. I mean, it couldn't hurt to have the Black Angel backing me, now, could it? Oh, wait, that's right, you're the fucking _Black Angel_. You'd stick out like-"

"Relax, Jack. Only my name is well known, not my face unlike _someone_." I pointedly glanced to Charles while walking to where Jack was. "Trust me, we'll be fine."

"....I guess. Let's go, then." Jack sighed. "Fuck, it's cold."

"No shit. This weather is absurd." I grumbled.

~

Snow covered everything and the streets were filled with people and horses. I could see my own breath in the air and my toes felt numb as I walked.

"I can no longer feel my balls." Jack popped off. "No one should live here."

"You're wrong about her. Max. When that animal, Baringer, was terrorizing her, threatening to kill her unless she agreed to give her connection to the resistance, she refused. She's not crossed anyone, to my knowledge, who hasn't first crossed her." The other man said. "Present company included. Jack."

"I heard you." He then gestured with his head to the building in front of us. "Deana, try not to say anything stupid."

"I'd say the same to you." I popped off and the scrawny man scoffed as we crossed the street.

"You know, it's just occurred to me how ruined we'll be if I fail to win the man on the other side of that door to our cause. No home. No cache. A ship that can barely sail. And worst of all....he'll have won. Woodes Rogers will sit in Nassau and grow old knowing he was measured against us and proven the better man."

"So don't fail."

"Easier said than done." I sighed, going up the snow covered steps with Jack at my side.

It was much warmer inside the building thankfully, and we had to sit on a rather small and uncomfortable bench to wait for the man we needed to see.

"Is it true?" We turned to see a young woman in a shimmering dress standing on the stairs.

"I'm sorry?" Jack furrowed his eyebrows.

"That you've come from Nassau?" She smiled and I just glanced to Jack with a quirked up brow. "It's true, isn't it?" She seemed giddy as she sat down beside me. "You're one of them? You're a pirate?" She was clearly still talking to Jack, but he said nothing in return. "You are! I hear everyone knows everyone. Even the giants. Will you tell me....did you know Edward Teach?" I scoffed and her attention turned to me.

"Grumpy old man, that one." She shifted to face me more with excitement in her eyes.

"And Jack Rackham? Did you know him, too? I heard a story that Jack Rackham outsmarted Captain Flint to steal a Spanish treasure galleon right out from under him!"

"Surprisingly, that story is true. That scraggely alley cat may not be much in brute force," Jack elbowed me in the side and I chuckled. "but he's definitely clever."

"What about Charles Vane?"

"He's my closest friend in the world." Jack smiled.

"Tell me all about him." The woman grinned.

"He's the bravest man I know."

"Not without fear, though." I pointed.

"Right. But unwilling to let it....diminish him. Loyal."

"To a fault."

"And in a world where honesty is so regularly and casually disregarded-"

"I heard he cut off a man's head and left it as a marker in the sand to anyone who would cross him."

"It was a little more complicated than that." I made a face while sitting up straight and stretching my arms.

"I heard....he sometimes butchered his enemies for amusement. Had the Black Angel make stew of their flesh. He was truly an animal."

"....Stew?" Jack looked at the woman and she nodded.

"Mm-hm!"

"For what possible- I-I beg your pardon, but you believe this?"

"I read it in the newspaper."

"Mr. Guthrie will see you now." A man said while standing a few feet away and Jack had to drag me from the bench as I was glaring at the woman.

"Charles Vane is a good man. What I told you is the truth. Put down the newspapers and read a book." Jack glanced back the woman and and old lady by the fire scoffed.

"The truth isn't nearly as interesting." The young woman mumbled while standing.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"I said, the truth isn't nearly as interesting."

"How about I show you _interesting_ , you pampered little-"

"Now, now, we have business to attend to." Jack pulled me back and the woman gasped before quickly walking away.

"That little- She really thinks- What in God's name would a stew of human flesh be any good for? Nothing but sickness would come of that! Only an utter fool would- She may look like a lady but clearly hasn't a clue about cooking."

"Well, she looked rich so she more than likely has a chef." Jack turned me around while walking. "Now, we're about to meet Mr. Guthrie and I need you to- in the best way possible you can manage- behave." We neared a table surrounded by quietly speaking men.

"I understand you believe we have business. News of the Bahama islands of some sort, Mr....what is it?" An old man questioned.

"Rackham." The table went silent and all eyes turned to Jack. "Captain Jack Rackham."

"Is that so?"

"The news I- we bring- is of personal concern to you, Mr. Guthrie. Would you prefer if we discussed it....privately?"

"Say what you came to say." Jack gave a small nod and stepped forward.

"Your granddaughter, Eleanor, is dead. Govenor Woodes Rogers plotted with Spanish forces to help him quell a resistance movement on New Providence Island by razing it to the ground and Eleanor was killed as a result. I come to offer an opportunity to see that offence answered, and to bring _great_ commercial opportunity in the process. Woodes Rogers bears debts he could not _hope_ to repay given the ruin Nassau lies in. Those debts could be purchased for mere fractions of their value- _pennies_. You could own Woodes Rogers. See him imprisoned. Meanwhile, as Nassau smolders, her property could be bought for a song. I bring you the chance, sir, to own the island, shape the regime that runs it, and all while seeing justice visited onto your granddaughter's murderer."

"No."

"No? To which part?"

"All of it."

"Mr. Guthrie, if you'd allow me to explain first-"

"I hope that you understand, the offence to my family's name was done a long time ago. By my son. He, his daughter, and all their efforts are parts to their offence and are no longer family of mine. That is all."

"Are you seriously-"

"And you, a _woman_ , have no business even being in this room." Mr. Guthrie cut me off and I itched to reach for one of my knives. Clenching my jaw, I held my tongue and followed Jack out of the room.

"She's dead, isn't she?" The old woman sewing by the fire spoke up.

"Excuse me?"

"The news you bring about Eleanor. It's that she's dead, isn't it?"

"It is. And who are you?"

"Her grandmother." She stated without even looking up. "Wait outside. I'll join you shortly."

~

"Follow me, please, Captain." The old woman from before walked past, now dressed in a warm coat and gloves. "Those men at that table are among the wealthiest in the Pennsylvania colony and critical suppliers to my husband's business. They consider character to be paramount in choosing their partners. So my husband has gone to great lengths to assure them that our family's sordid beginnings are long since behind us. And you just stood in front of them and purposed that my husband join you in a revenge plot against the royal governor of New Providence Island."

"I'm afraid I may have fumbled my case there, Ma'am. But the merits exist and remain well beyond revenge. Maybe if you could help me gain your husband's ear again, this time in private, outside the presence of those other men-"

"My husband's commercial interests have grown twelve-fold over the past three years. By some estimates, his estate represents the ninth largest family fortune in the Americas. Does that sound like a man that would dismiss an opportunity like this because of what the neighbors might think?"

"No, it doesn't."

"So what does that tell you?"

"It tells me....it tells me that either Joseph Guthrie isn't among the ten luckiest men in the Americas, or that your husband's business isn't entirely managed by your husband."

"I see merit to your proposal. I've yet to see *your* merit. Why would I even consider taking on a pirate as a partner like this?"

"First, I and my partners have intimate knowledge of Nassau's operations, we've made it work once before, and could again. With your help. And, second, in all the years the Guthries had a relationship with Nassau, I imagine I'm the first pirate to find his way to your ear. So either I'm the luckiest pirate in all creation, or I'm of a different sort to the rest of them." The woman slowly smiled before looking to Jack.

"And who, might I ask, is this woman in your company?"

"I would like to say ally, but in this circumstance it's more of bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" She quirked up a brow and I slightly lifted my arms to show the blades in their harness. "And what's your name?"

"....Deana Blake."

"Deana Blake?" She shifted on her feet. "The Black Angel?" Jack tensed as the woman eyed me up and down. "If it's true, I'd like to see them."

"Excuse me?"

"Your wings. I heard they were quite beautiful."

"Kinda painful, too. At first." I stated.

~

"It's too fucking cold here." I grumbled. "People that _choose_ to live here are _insane_." Charles chuckled as I clung to his back for warmth. It was late now, and Jack and Max were meeting with Mrs. Guthrie to discuss plans concerning Nassau.

"I take it you're from a more southern town?"

"It was definitely warmer."

"Come here." He gently grabbed my hand and pulled me to his lap. "We won't be here for much longer. We'll be sailing back to warmer waters soon."

"Not soon enough." I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed, enjoying the heat from his body against mine. "Once this is all over I think I might take a nice, long nap."

"That sounds pleasant."

"It does, doesn't it?" Smiling, I looked down at Vane. "Would you like to join me?"

"I think I would."

"You think?" I quirked up a brow and Charles gently kissed my neck.

"I may not want to sleep for a while at first."

"Really? And what _would_ you want to do?"

"Give proper praise to my angel." His lips brushed over my throat as one of his hands rested on my hip. "Let her know how much she's appreciated."

"How would you do that?" I smirked, running my fingers through his hair.

"Fucking- long and hard- until she couldn't even walk." Vane's voice took on a huskier tone as his other hand moved up my thigh. I bit my bottom lip to suppress a smile while resting my hand on the back of his neck. "And kisses....all over." He emphasized with a kiss to my throat and collarbone.


	35. Rest

Taking in a deep breath as the salty wind blew through my hair, I sighed through my nose and looked out to the rolling waters. We were sailing to Skeleton Island now, an old man Jack found drunk leading the way. The sun was warm and the sky was clear- the perfect weather to sail in. Was the weather that was currently in our favor to be taken as a good sign or just a mere coincidence of nature?

Our fight against the governor was near an end, I could feel it. I hoped it would end in our favor, but there was no certainty if Woodes got his hands on the cache currently in Flint and Silver's possession.

"Think too much and you'll be lost in thoughts." Charles spoke as he walked towards me. Looking over my shoulder to him I tilted my head.

"Think too little and your head will be empty." Quirking up a brow, I smirked. "Though, I think you're already there."

"Rude."

"How much further?"

"Just a little ways out." He replied, leaning against the railing next to me.

"Mm."

"What?"

"Restless, is all. There's a lot happening and it truly feels like it's all almost over." I shrugged, looking back out over the water.

~

The old man supposedly leading up to Skeleton Island died of a heart attack right on deck. We had yet to reach our destination, but hopes in finishing the journey now lay on the pirate that was told the way by the old man. If he couldn't get us to Skeleton Island then we'd have to go back, but going back raised the risk of Woodes getting the cache even more.

That is if he hadn't already gotten it.

~

"Make ready to take on survivors!" Jack called as the ship was rounding a bend in the river. Another ship was on fire and dozens of men were in the water and it was hard to tell who was alive or not from where I stood. Rushing to the front of the ship, I grabbed Jack's arm and made him look at me.

"Hold my shit. Think you can do that?"

"Wha- Why?"

"Why do you think?" I popped off, dropping my blades into his hands. "I'm going to help."

"Help? Deana, what are you-"

"What part of 'help' don't you understand?" Raising my eyebrows at the man, he just gave me a look before rolling his eyes as I jumped over the side of the ship and dove into the water. I was already nearing the first body in the river before the smaller boats had even hit the water. Grabbing the man I checked to see if he was even alive and found him to be dead.

Moving him to the side, I swam towards the next one- a survivor this time but barely. He was unconscious and thankfully for him was floating on his back.

Hooking my arm around his torso, I drug him with me to the nearest boat.

"This one's alive!" I called, grabbing the boat as the men aboard reached down to drag the man I had out of the water. The boat swayed, but once the pirate was aboard, I swam back out to check the other floating bodies.

Most of them were dead, shot or severely burned, but there were still some survivors among them- many of which were barely keeping their heads above water.

"I'm stuck!" I heard a man cry as he was clinging to a bit of wood. "I'm stuck!"

"Where?"

"My leg! I can't get it out." He was digging his nails into the wood to keep from going under the water lapping at his chin and I dove down, feeling around to gauge the situation. The man's leg was tangled in rope attached to the wood and I grabbed the only knife I brought with me to cut him loose.

Coming back up for air, I looked at the pirate and swallowed.

"Can you swim?"

"Not well." He coughed, spitting out water while clinging to the wood even more than before.

"I swear...." I sighed, already feeling tired from dragging bodies back and forth between the wreckage to safety. "Just hold on." Grabbing the wood, I kicked my legs hard to push it and the man through the water. I knew just taking the man himself would be too dangerous because if he panicked he'd take us both down. The wood at least kept him afloat.

Reaching the ship, I grabbed the rope hanging from the side and tied it around the pirate.

"Hoist 'em up!" I shouted to those on deck and the man began to rise out of the water. Taking hold of another rope, I started my climb upwards as water dripped from my soaked clothes and hair. I wanted sleep even more so now but it would have to wait for the time being. "Where's Jack?" I asked the nearest pirate once I was on deck.

"Capt'n's quarters. Talkin' with Capt'n Vane, Flint, and Silver so best not to bother."

~

"Silver! Can't believe you're still alive, you one-legged bastard!" I grinned, resting my hands onto my hips.

"I'd say the same to you, Ms. Blake." He slightly smirked.

"I know this isn't the ideal circumstances to meet again, but it's good to know you're alive."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Who else am I supposed to make fun of?"

"Mm, glad I amuse you."

"So, what have I missed out on?" I questioned and the small smile Silver did have fell into a frown.

"....So, so very much."

~

Canon fire brought down one of the sails as men were scrambling over the deck to find a place to hold on.

"Brace for impact!" Flint screamed as a bell rang. The entire ship shook from Woodes's ship crashing right into our side. "Take cover!" And the sound of gunfire became deafening.

"Stay down!"

With my back against the wood of the ship, I drew my blades while cautiously peeking over to spot where the redcoats were firing from. Barely coming out from cover, I threw a knife and aimed for a shooter's throat before ducking back down. Throwing another blade, the ship creaked as it somehow broke free of the larger ship. Our men began to move now that they weren't completely stuck, firing back and climbing onto Woodes's ship with swords drawn.

The redcoats were being broken up, their fire less concentrated and I left my safe spot to fully join the battle at hand. Baring my teeth I jumped from one ship to the other, landing on a man's back as I buried two knives into the back of his neck. He hit the deck and I pulled the blades free to move on to the next man.

Hot, sticky blood covered my hands as it sprayed across the ship, the fighting going on until the redcoats were so overwhelmed and outnumbered they had no choice but to surrender or die.

The dead were gathered and tossed into the water while the surviving redcoats were shackled and taken below deck. The surviving pirates, on the other hand, were dividing between the two ships we now had.

"Stay still." Charles growled at me and I slammed my hand onto the table.

"You say that like it's easy!" I snarled through grit teeth.

"I can't get it out if you keep squirming, Deana."

"Yeah, well, it fuckin' _hurts_." Balling my hand into a fist, blood soaked the rags littering the table and the bench as more of it spilled from the wound on my shoulder as Vane was trying to dig the bullet out. I was lucky, it seemed, as the damage so far was just a flesh wound, but I was nearly blinded by the pain I was having to endure.

"It'd be over sooner if you _stopped moving_."

~

"Time is of the essence for what happens next. I'll take the better part of a day, maybe two, to secure the chest. Captain Rackham will ferry you back to the camp aboard the Lion to relay the news."

"I'd like to stay, actually." Jack piped up. "To help see the chest secured properly."

"Mr. Featherstone can see her back aboard the Eurydice. Provided a majority of the men crewing the Lion are ours, not yours, and you remain on the ship while we retrieve the chest. Yes?" Silver looked to Jack and he nodded after glancing to Vane.

~

The war was over. There was no glorified winner, but it was clear who did once Woodes had been shackled by pirates. However, a treaty had been signed and agreements had been put forth to end all of the fighting.

Flint had pretty much vanished, but I didn't care much where the man had gone because he had simply....retired. I think he too was tired of the fighting despite him being such a driving force in it all. It was Silver's doing, of course, that man knew Flint better than any of us and knew exactly how to make Flint put down his war.

"Will you stop looking out that bloody window?"

"It's a beautiful day." I stated while smiling over my shoulder. "I also like the breeze."

"We're in the tropics, Deana. Almost every day is a 'beautiful' day."

"Doesn't make it less pleasant." Shrugging, I turned to look at the large man resting on the messy bed, propped up by a pillow against the wall. Walking towards him, I crawled onto the bed and kissed his cheek. "Oh, I heard Jack picked up yet another stray."

"I'm not surprised." Vane tilted his head while looking at me and brushed his thumb over my cheek. "He always did have a soft spot for them." Chuckling, I plopped down onto the bed while wrapping my arms around Charles, resting my head onto his bare chest. He ran his fingers through my hair and I sighed with content, listening to his heart beat beneath my ear.

"Next time we dock in Nassau we should have a drink with them."

"Mm. They'll probably also be wanting your food."

"Yeah, ain't no cook like me out there." I laughed, feeling Charles chuckle. Another thing that had happened since the war ended was my Captain was like before, but that was understandable as now we had security and he didn't have all the weight of battle on his shoulders. Sure, we still were pirates and got into fights with other ships, but it wasn't the same as full on war.

"No, there certainly isn't." Charles kissed my forehead before I turned my head up to also get a kiss on my lips.

"Better not forget that, either."


	36. Epilogue: Derby Ram

" _~Oh! As I was going to Derby, 'twas on a market day I met the finest ram, sirs, that ever was fed upon hay!~_ "

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ " The young child before me sang, grinning from ear to ear while shaking his head.

" _~This ram and I got drunk, sir, as drunk as drunk could be and when we sobered up, sir, we were far away out at sea!~_ " I waved my hands.

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ "

" _~This wonderful old ram, sir, was playful as a kid,~_ " I smiled and pinched the child's cheeks. " _~He swallowed the capt'n's spyglass along with the bo'sun's fid!~_ "

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ "

" _~Tonight was very rough, sir, the wind was blowin' keen, he borrowed me suit of oilskins and he took me trick at the wheel!~_ "

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ " He sang through giggles while watching me dance around to the silly song.

" _~One morning on the poop, sir, afore eight bells was struck he climbed up to the sky's yard and sat down on the truck!~"_

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ "

" _~Ah, this wonderful ol' ram, sir, he tried a silly trick. He tried to jump a five-barred fence and landed in a rick!~_ "

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ "

" _~This wonderful ol' ram, sir, it grew two horns of brass! One grew out o' his shoulder blade, the other turned into a mast!~_ " I gestured along with the words before scooping the boy up into my arms.

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ "

" _~That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!~_ " We both sang as I twirled around. We were laughing until a noise came from outside and the boy squirmed out of my hold to run outside.

"Daddy!" The boy was a blur with how fast he ran and I followed after him. Charles had just dropped the load of wood onto the ground before nearly getting tackled.

"Oh, goodness!" He chuckled, picking up our son and tossing him into the air before catching him again. "I was only gone a few hours."

Crossing my arms and leaning on the doorway, I watched with a smile as Charles played with Edward, chasing him around the yard. It hadn't been long after Nassau had settled that what Flint had predicted to happen, but even then just like Charles himself had said, he wouldn't surrender to any crown to have comfort. Instead, like the stubborn old coot he was, he found an uninhabited island to build his home on. The island was small, but it was more than enough for us to provide a place we could call home other than the rough seas.

In fact, most of the crew even lived on the island now. It was pretty much our secret hideaway for when we weren't in Nassau or on the water. And like Anne and Jack, we still practiced piracy against the crown. That didn't seem like something either of us would give up any time soon, though we did do it much less than before so that Edward could be taken care of.

"Now, what's there to eat?" Charles questioned before kissing my cheek and going into the house with Edward dangling from his arm.

"Bread." I replied and he quirked up a brow at me. "It's not time to eat yet, so you get bread."

"I had fruit!" Edward giggled while swinging his legs back and forth.

"How come he gets fruit and I get bread?"

"Because he helped me clean."

"But I was getting wood."

"Congratulations, you're a big boy now." I pat Vane's chest. "Unless you want to cook for yourself." The man looked me in the eye and I grinned, knowing nothing he could make would beat my cooking and he was well aware of it, too. Charles huffed, rolling his eyes at me.

~

"Charles, where did you put the-" I cut myself off when I entered the room and sighed before simply smiling. Supper with the crew had been a rather boisterous night on the beach, and it seemed both Charles and Edward had been tired out.

Edward was curled up to his father's side, drooling all over his shirt, and Charles had his head at an awkward angle while snoring like a beast. Toys carved from wood and bone scattered the floor until I pushed them to the side to reach the sleeping pair.

Carefully and gently, I picked up Edward and with how heavy he slept he didn't even stir as he began to drool on me. Nudging Vane's leg with my foot, he shot up and took a fighting stance before realizing what was happening.

"How about you head to bed, Leon." I whispered before carrying Edward to his bed and laying him down. Hearing a grunt from the hall behind me as Charles passed the room, I kissed Edward on his forehead while tucking him in. Closing the bedroom door behind me, I walked further down the hall.

Charles was taking off his boots as he sat on the edge of our bed, Still looking rather tired. I could understand why- the man was both a captain and a father, running a crew and literally chasing after a hyperactive son. Kicking off my own boots, I crawled onto the bed and wrapped my arms over Vane's shoulders, resting my cheek on the back of his neck as he tossed his boots into a corner.

I remembered how anxious he had been before Edward was born, as soon as we found out I was pregnant the man literally went into a panic. His worst fears came to light, but he didn't dare deny that he was soon going to be a father. It took him time to come to terms that a *lot* of things would soon change, however, like in battle, he fought his fears and as I had suspected....was an incredible father.

He was a bit too rough around the edges at first, not having a clue how to do things, but everyone saw how much Edward made him soft. Well....soft around his son at least, he was still Captain Charles Vane any other time.

"Deana."

"Hmm?"

"I can't take my shirt off if you're hanging on me."

"Mm." I begrudgingly sat back on my haunches, letting my arms fall from Charles and he pulled his shirt over his head. Dropping it onto the floor, he then turned and grabbed me, falling into the bed while pulling me closer. "Goodness. If you weren't so tired I'd fuck you. Poor thing." Cupping his cheek while looking at him with mock pity, I chuckled when his eyes snapped wide open.

"Who said I was tired?" Charles rolled on top of me, his hair falling over his shoulders like a dark curtain.

"Sure you don't need to sleep, old man?" I teased, gently rubbing my knee against his crotch and feeling his cock harden.

"You truly are a curse." He smirked before kissing me.

Honestly, I'm glad everything had turned out the way it had. Not only did I actually reach my dream of being a captain- though in a completely different way than expected- I also now had a family of my own that truly loved me. No more nights spent in the streets, no more cursing my father's name, no more scrapping with pirates for respect. I was loved, I was feared, I was respected. I had a home, a son, and even a husband. What more could I possibly ask for?


End file.
